On Tuesday, SEC announced that the agency has named Anne K. Small as its General Counsel. Anne Small would be leaving her position as a special assistant to President Obama, and would join the SEC to oversee rule-making - something that the agency has been neglecting for quite some time, especially with regard to Dodd-Frank Act and the JOBS Act crowdfunding rules.
Speaking on the issue, Mary Jo White, the current SEC Chair said, "I'm delighted that Annie will be returning to the agency at a time when our rule writing is in full swing and our enforcement program continues to pursue cases involving some of the most complex transactions … The Commission will benefit from her experience, judgment, and tremendous talent."
This is Mary Jo White's second major hiring decision following the appointments of George Canellos and Andrew Ceresney on Monday in the positions of co-directors of the agency's enforcement division.
Small would be succeeding Geoffrey Aronow, who joined the agency in January as General Counsel under Commissioner Elisse Walter acting as Chairman of SEC.
Anne Small started her career as a lawyer at WilmerHale LLP where she became a partner in the litigation department of the law firm. She later left to join the SEC.
About her return, Small said, "It is an honor to return to the Commission. I am looking forward to working with the talented staff in the General Counsel's Office and serving Chairman White and the other Commissioners in the agency's efforts to protect investors."
Speaking on the departure of Geoffrey Aronow from the post of General Counsel of the SEC, Mary Jo White said, "Even in his short stint as General Counsel, Geoff has proved himself to be a wise and insightful counselor to the Commission. I am very pleased that he has agreed to stay on as a senior counsel in my office. In that role, he will assist in navigating some of the more complex and difficult policy issues we must address."
