Margaret Dotzel
Peggy Dotzel focuses her practice on complex regulatory issues and provides strategic advice to generic drug companies, start-up drug and biologic companies, hospitals, trade associations, and public interest organizations. Also trained as a pharmacist, she handles all aspects of food and drug law, including litigation, administrative actions, and legislative and policy matters as well as counseling and litigation on other Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) related matters.
Prior to joining Zuckerman Spaeder, Peggy served as Acting General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel at HHS.
As Acting General Counsel at HHS, Peggy managed over 500 attorneys and support staff and oversaw all legal advice provided by the Office of General Counsel, which is responsible for all litigation and ensuring that decisions in the program areas – which include Medicare, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, the FDA, the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control – are consistent with the law. She also provided legal counsel directly to the Secretary and other senior level Department officials. From 2011-2016, in her role as deputy general counsel, Peggy oversaw litigation and legal advice provided by the Office of General Counsel on matters related to, among other things, generic drugs and biosimilars, the Indian Health Services, the 340B program, Ryan White, community health centers, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Medicare program integrity, and implementation of the Affordable Care Act. She also served as the Department liaison with the HHS Office of the Inspector General.
Peggy served as counsel at Zuckerman Spaeder from 2006-2011. From 2000-2003, she served as Associate Commissioner for Policy at the Food and Drug Administration, where she oversaw the development of major FDA policy initiatives and worked with HHS, the White House, and Congress on issues relating to FDA’s regulatory policy. From 1999-2000, Peggy was the Acting Associate Commissioner for Policy, and from 1995-1999 she was a Senior Policy Advisor at the Food and Drug Administration. She started her legal career as a law clerk to Judge Jerry Buchmeyer in the Northern District of Texas. Following her clerkship she spent five years at a large Washington, DC law firm. Prior to attending law school, Peggy practiced as a hospital pharmacist.
Washington, District of Columbia 20036-5807
