LAWYER PROFILE
David Applebaum

David Applebaum

USA 2026

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Ranked in 1 practice area

About

Provided by Baker Botts L.L.P.

USA

Practice Areas

David Applebaum's practice focuses on energy industry enforcement, compliance, internal investigations, audits, litigation, regulatory, and policy matters. He regularly advises on proposed energy market transactions to mitigate enforcement risk from FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission), CFTC (Commodity Futures Trading Commission), NERC (North American Electric Reliability Corporation), state public utility commissions (PUCs), antitrust enforcers, and RTO (Regional Transmission Organization) market monitors. David has successfully represented clients on a broad range of enforcement investigations and surveillance inquiries alleging market manipulation.

David is the former head of FERC's Division of Investigations, where he managed all aspects of the Division, including decisions on opening, conducting, and resolving investigations, settlements, enforcement actions, trials, and electric reliability inquiries. He also led the Division in coordination efforts with the CFTC on market manipulation investigations. During his government service, David was a member of the Office of Enforcement senior management team and was a key advisor to Commissioners' Offices and senior staff on enforcement matters.

Career

David Applebaum's practice focuses on energy industry enforcement, government investigations, internal investigations, litigation, audits, electric reliability inquiries, compliance, regulatory, and policy matters. He advises clients on proposed energy market transactions and trading strategies to avoid or mitigate enforcement risk from FERC, the CFTC, NERC, state PUCs, antitrust enforcers, and RTO market monitors. David is the former head of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's Division of Investigations, where he managed all aspects of the Division, including complex decisions related to opening, conducting, and resolving investigations, settlements, enforcement actions, trials, and electric reliability inquiries. Since leaving FERC, David has successfully represented clients on a broad range of enforcement investigations and surveillance inquiries alleging market manipulation.

Professional Memberships

State Bar of Texas

District of Columbia Bar

New York State Bar

Member, Editorial Board, Energy Law Journal

Member, Board of Directors, Energy Bar Association

Former Chair, Compliance & Enforcement Committee, Energy Bar Association

Former Vice Chair, ABA Antitrust Section's Civil Practice & Procedure Committee

Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation

Publications

Energy Law Journal, Volume 46, No. 2: Report of the Compliance and Enforcement Committee

Personal

J.D., Vanderbilt University Law School 1999

Editor-in-Chief, Vanderbilt Journal of Transactional Law

B.A., History, University of Pennsylvania 1996

magna cum laude

Phi Beta Kappa

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

Chambers Guide to the USA

Energy: Electricity (Regulatory & Litigation) - USA - Nationwide

Band 2
Band 2

Individual Editorial
David Applebaum leverages his experience in FERC's Office of Enforcement to assist clients with a range of regulatory matters, most notably investigations, enforcement and compliance.

Strengths

Provided by Chambers

  • David is an industry leader in enforcement.

    Energy: Electricity (Regulatory & Litigation)Chambers Guide to the USA

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