Mary Jo White Nominated for SEC Chair

President Obama nominated Mary Jo White, a former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, to serve as Chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. White would replace Mary Schapiro, who left the agency in December.

Ms. White is currently Chair of the Litigation practice group at the New York law firm of Debevoise & Plimpton, where she concentrates her practice in white collar criminal defense and securities law. Her biography, as outlined below from the law firm’s website, summarizes her career highlights.

Ms. White served as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York from 1993 to 2002. She is the only woman to hold the top position in the more than 200-year history of that office, which has the responsibility of enforcing the federal criminal and civil laws of the nation.

Ms. White also served as the first Chairperson of Attorney General Janet Reno’s Advisory Committee of United States Attorneys from all over the country. Prior to becoming the United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York, Ms. White served as the First Assistant United States Attorney and Acting United States Attorney in the Eastern District of New York from 1990 to 1993.

In addition, Ms. White has served as a Director of The NASDAQ Stock Exchange, and on its Executive, Audit and Policy Committee. She is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Ms. White’s practice concentrates on internal investigations and defense of companies and individuals accused by the government of involvement in white collar corporate crime or Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and civil securities law violations, and on other major business litigation disputes and crises. For her criminal work, she leads a Debevoise team that includes eleven former Assistant U.S. Attorneys with extensive experience in major commercial investigations and prosecutions.

Fort Lauderdale Securities Litigation and Arbitration Attorney

Contact Fort Lauderdale securities litigation and arbitration attorney Howard N. Kahn, Esq. if you or someone you know has a securities or broker dispute. He is an experienced securities litigation and arbitration attorney, and is available to assist individual investors, brokers, and brokerage firms involved in securities matters. You can reach him at 954-321-0176 or online.