U.S. Attorney Damian Williams Announces The Selection Of Deputy U.S. Attorney And Special Counsel

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, today announced the selection of Andrea Griswold as Deputy United States Attorney, and Margaret Garnett as Special Counsel to the United States Attorney.  

Since April 2022, Ms. Griswold has served as Chief Counsel to the United States Attorney. From June 2020 until June 2022, Ms. Griswold served as a Chief of the Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force, first as Deputy Chief and then as Chief or Co-Chief.  In this two-year period, Ms. Griswold supervised a series of significant individual and corporate investigations and prosecutions relating to market manipulation, insider trading, investor fraud, and accounting and valuation fraud.  Many of the cases brought under Ms. Griswold’s leadership related to private funds, SPACs, cryptocurrency and digital assets. Prior to assuming a supervisory position in that unit, Ms. Griswold investigated and prosecuted a wide variety of significant securities fraud and public corruption cases, and also served as an Acting Chief of the Narcotics Unit.  Ms. Griswold began her career as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Office in March 2013.  Prior to her public service, she worked for more than five years as an associate at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP.  Ms. Griswold received her B.A. cum laude from Georgetown University and her J.D. from New York University School of Law. 

Following the announcement this week that Margaret Garnett has been recommended to the President for a judgeship in the Southern District of New York, Ms. Garnett has assumed the role of Special Counsel to the United States Attorney.  Since November 2021, Ms. Garnett has served as Deputy United States Attorney. Prior to her return to the Office, Ms. Garnett served as the Commissioner of New York City’s Department of Investigation (“DOI”), one of the oldest municipal anti-corruption agencies in the United States.  Prior to her service at DOI, Ms. Garnett served as Executive Deputy Attorney General for Criminal Justice in the Office of the New York State Attorney General.  Ms. Garnett was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Office for 12 years, serving at times as Chief of Appeals and Chief of the Violent and Organized Crime Unit.  She received the Director’s Award for Outstanding Performance and the Stimson Medal for her exceptional service in the Criminal Division.  Prior to her public service, Ms. Garnett worked as an associate at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz.  She began her public service career as a law clerk to the Honorable Gerard E. Lynch of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.  Ms. Garnett received her B.A. from the University of Notre Dame, her M.A. from Yale University, and her J.D. from Columbia University.

In making these selections, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “I am pleased to appoint Andrea Griswold as Deputy United States Attorney.  I have worked side-by-side with Andrea through our ascension in the Office, and know her to have the rare combination of not only being an exceptional prosecutor and litigator, but also possessing the exemplary judgement and leadership skills to help lead the most talented group of prosecutors in the country.  Margaret Garnett is an extraordinary lawyer, public servant, and friend.  She is brilliant, fair, kind, and wise.  She has and will continue to exemplify the best of this Office.”