Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission
Paul S. Atkins was sworn into office as the 34th Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 21, 2025, after being nominated by President Donald J. Trump on January 20, 2025, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on April 9, 2025.
Prior to returning to the SEC, Chairman Atkins was most recently chief executive of Patomak Global Partners, a company he founded in 2009. Chairman Atkins helped lead efforts to develop best practices for the digital asset sector. He served as an independent director and non-executive chairman of the board of BATS Global Markets, Inc. from 2012 to 2015.
Chairman Atkins was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as a Commissioner of the SEC from 2002 to 2008. During his tenure, he advocated for transparency, consistency, and the use of cost-benefit analysis at the agency. Chairman Atkins also represented the SEC at meetings of the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets and the U.S.-EU Transatlantic Economic Council. From 2009 to 2010, he was appointed a member of the Congressional Oversight Panel for the Troubled Asset Relief Program.
Before serving as an SEC Commissioner, Chairman Atkins was a consultant on securities and investment management industry matters, especially regarding issues of strategy, regulatory compliance, risk management, new product development, and organizational control.
From 1990 to 1994, Chairman Atkins served on the staff of two chairmen of the SEC, Richard C. Breeden and Arthur Levitt, ultimately as chief of staff and counselor, respectively. He received the SEC’s 1992 Law and Policy Award for work regarding corporate governance matters.
Chairman Atkins began his career as a lawyer in New York, focusing on a wide range of corporate transactions for U.S. and foreign clients, including public and private securities offerings and mergers and acquisitions. He was resident for 2½ years in his firm's Paris office and admitted as conseil juridique in France.
A member of the New York and Florida bars, Chairman Atkins received his J.D. from Vanderbilt University School of Law in 1983 and was Senior Student Writing Editor of the Vanderbilt Law Review. He received his A.B., Phi Beta Kappa, from Wofford College in 1980.
Originally from Lillington, North Carolina, Chairman Atkins grew up in Tampa, Florida. He and his wife Sarah have three sons.
Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel, U.S. Department of Justice
T. Elliot Gaiser is the Office of Legal Counsel’s 27th Assistant Attorney General. He was nominated by President Donald Trump on April 29, 2025, confirmed by the United States Senate on July 30, 2025, and sworn in as AAG by Attorney General Pam Bondi on August 4, 2025.
Prior to joining the Office of Legal Counsel, Mr. Gaiser served as the 11th Solicitor General of Ohio. In that role, he represented his home state and its agencies before the Supreme Court of the United States, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, the Supreme Court of Ohio, and other state and federal courts. He also advised Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost on significant legal and constitutional matters important to the people of Ohio.
Mr. Gaiser clerked for Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr. of the Supreme Court of the United States, Judge Neomi Rao of the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, and Judge Edith H. Jones of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. In the private sector, Mr. Gaiser worked at the law firms Jones Day, Boyden Gray, and Gibson Dunn. He graduated from the University of Chicago Law School and Hillsdale College. He is also a husband and father.
Partner, O'Melveny & Myers LLP
Gregory Jacob is a partner in O’Melveny’s Washington, D.C. office. Greg Jacob represents financial services companies including banks, investment managers, health care payors, and insurers, as well as other employers, in class action and other litigation concerning ERISA and other labor and employment matters. A former Solicitor of Labor, Greg has extensive knowledge on a wide variety of labor and employment issues including ERISA, FLSA, OFCCP, and whistleblower law. He regularly litigates in federal courts throughout the country, defends clients against Department of Labor investigations, and provides counseling to plans and plan sponsors.
Prior to rejoining O’Melveny in 2021, Greg served as Counsel to Vice President Pence and Deputy Assistant to the President. He directly advised the Vice President on all legal issues relating to the Office of the Vice President, and advised the White House Coronavirus Task Force concerning the Defense Production Act and other legal issues related to bolstering the domestic supply chain.
Managing Partner, Rose Legal Advisory PLLC
Sharon is an experienced regulatory counsel and advocate in enforcement and litigation matters. She regularly represents corporations and individuals in investigations and proceedings before federal and state regulatory agencies and in related litigation, including the Department of Labor, Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. She has extensive experience advising clients on issues related to compliance with the federal securities and commodities laws and other laws and regulations that impact corporate entities, including federal contractor obligations, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), the False Claims Act (FCA), the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), and federal and state employment laws. She has represented clients worldwide in matters involving alleged fraud, market manipulation, disruptive trading practices, insider trading, accounting and internal controls irregularities, and other financial and trading issues. In addition to matters before the federal government, she represents clients in enforcement proceedings and other inquiries by state regulatory agencies, regulated exchanges, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), and foreign government agencies.
Sharon previously served as Senior Counsel in the Office of the Solicitor at the Department of Labor, where she advised the Office of the Secretary and Department agencies on a variety of regulatory, enforcement, and litigation matters. She was integrally involved in several key rulemakings and litigation actions within the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), including those concerning fiduciary investment advice, ESG investing, proxy voting, QPAM exemptions, health and welfare benefit plans, and important reforms to OFCCP’s procedures for non-discrimination enforcement actions. She routinely liaised with DOJ and other executive branch departments on joint litigation matters and amicus briefs requested by the Supreme Court addressing first amendment and ERISA issues.
Prior to entering government service, Sharon practiced in the Washington, D.C. and Singapore offices of an international law firm. She subsequently co-founded a litigation boutique firm representing plaintiffs and defendants in government enforcement and litigation matters and merged the practice into Berliner Corcoran & Rowe in 2022. Sharon is a summa cum laude graduate of Westmont College, earned her M.B.A. at the Claremont Graduate University—Drucker School of Management, and earned her law degree from the University of California, Davis, where she was an editor of the U.C. Davis Law Review and the U.C. Davis Business Law Journal. In her personal time, Sharon devotes time to several nonprofit organizations, including serving on the Board of Trustees of a private liberal arts college.
Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission
Paul S. Atkins was sworn into office as the 34th Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 21, 2025, after being nominated by President Donald J. Trump on January 20, 2025, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on April 9, 2025.
Prior to returning to the SEC, Chairman Atkins was most recently chief executive of Patomak Global Partners, a company he founded in 2009. Chairman Atkins helped lead efforts to develop best practices for the digital asset sector. He served as an independent director and non-executive chairman of the board of BATS Global Markets, Inc. from 2012 to 2015.
Chairman Atkins was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as a Commissioner of the SEC from 2002 to 2008. During his tenure, he advocated for transparency, consistency, and the use of cost-benefit analysis at the agency. Chairman Atkins also represented the SEC at meetings of the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets and the U.S.-EU Transatlantic Economic Council. From 2009 to 2010, he was appointed a member of the Congressional Oversight Panel for the Troubled Asset Relief Program.
Before serving as an SEC Commissioner, Chairman Atkins was a consultant on securities and investment management industry matters, especially regarding issues of strategy, regulatory compliance, risk management, new product development, and organizational control.
From 1990 to 1994, Chairman Atkins served on the staff of two chairmen of the SEC, Richard C. Breeden and Arthur Levitt, ultimately as chief of staff and counselor, respectively. He received the SEC’s 1992 Law and Policy Award for work regarding corporate governance matters.
Chairman Atkins began his career as a lawyer in New York, focusing on a wide range of corporate transactions for U.S. and foreign clients, including public and private securities offerings and mergers and acquisitions. He was resident for 2½ years in his firm's Paris office and admitted as conseil juridique in France.
A member of the New York and Florida bars, Chairman Atkins received his J.D. from Vanderbilt University School of Law in 1983 and was Senior Student Writing Editor of the Vanderbilt Law Review. He received his A.B., Phi Beta Kappa, from Wofford College in 1980.
Originally from Lillington, North Carolina, Chairman Atkins grew up in Tampa, Florida. He and his wife Sarah have three sons.
Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel, U.S. Department of Justice
T. Elliot Gaiser is the Office of Legal Counsel’s 27th Assistant Attorney General. He was nominated by President Donald Trump on April 29, 2025, confirmed by the United States Senate on July 30, 2025, and sworn in as AAG by Attorney General Pam Bondi on August 4, 2025.
Prior to joining the Office of Legal Counsel, Mr. Gaiser served as the 11th Solicitor General of Ohio. In that role, he represented his home state and its agencies before the Supreme Court of the United States, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, the Supreme Court of Ohio, and other state and federal courts. He also advised Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost on significant legal and constitutional matters important to the people of Ohio.
Mr. Gaiser clerked for Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr. of the Supreme Court of the United States, Judge Neomi Rao of the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, and Judge Edith H. Jones of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. In the private sector, Mr. Gaiser worked at the law firms Jones Day, Boyden Gray, and Gibson Dunn. He graduated from the University of Chicago Law School and Hillsdale College. He is also a husband and father.
Partner, O'Melveny & Myers LLP
Gregory Jacob is a partner in O’Melveny’s Washington, D.C. office. Greg Jacob represents financial services companies including banks, investment managers, health care payors, and insurers, as well as other employers, in class action and other litigation concerning ERISA and other labor and employment matters. A former Solicitor of Labor, Greg has extensive knowledge on a wide variety of labor and employment issues including ERISA, FLSA, OFCCP, and whistleblower law. He regularly litigates in federal courts throughout the country, defends clients against Department of Labor investigations, and provides counseling to plans and plan sponsors.
Prior to rejoining O’Melveny in 2021, Greg served as Counsel to Vice President Pence and Deputy Assistant to the President. He directly advised the Vice President on all legal issues relating to the Office of the Vice President, and advised the White House Coronavirus Task Force concerning the Defense Production Act and other legal issues related to bolstering the domestic supply chain.
Managing Partner, Rose Legal Advisory PLLC
Sharon is an experienced regulatory counsel and advocate in enforcement and litigation matters. She regularly represents corporations and individuals in investigations and proceedings before federal and state regulatory agencies and in related litigation, including the Department of Labor, Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. She has extensive experience advising clients on issues related to compliance with the federal securities and commodities laws and other laws and regulations that impact corporate entities, including federal contractor obligations, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), the False Claims Act (FCA), the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), and federal and state employment laws. She has represented clients worldwide in matters involving alleged fraud, market manipulation, disruptive trading practices, insider trading, accounting and internal controls irregularities, and other financial and trading issues. In addition to matters before the federal government, she represents clients in enforcement proceedings and other inquiries by state regulatory agencies, regulated exchanges, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), and foreign government agencies.
Sharon previously served as Senior Counsel in the Office of the Solicitor at the Department of Labor, where she advised the Office of the Secretary and Department agencies on a variety of regulatory, enforcement, and litigation matters. She was integrally involved in several key rulemakings and litigation actions within the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), including those concerning fiduciary investment advice, ESG investing, proxy voting, QPAM exemptions, health and welfare benefit plans, and important reforms to OFCCP’s procedures for non-discrimination enforcement actions. She routinely liaised with DOJ and other executive branch departments on joint litigation matters and amicus briefs requested by the Supreme Court addressing first amendment and ERISA issues.
Prior to entering government service, Sharon practiced in the Washington, D.C. and Singapore offices of an international law firm. She subsequently co-founded a litigation boutique firm representing plaintiffs and defendants in government enforcement and litigation matters and merged the practice into Berliner Corcoran & Rowe in 2022. Sharon is a summa cum laude graduate of Westmont College, earned her M.B.A. at the Claremont Graduate University—Drucker School of Management, and earned her law degree from the University of California, Davis, where she was an editor of the U.C. Davis Law Review and the U.C. Davis Business Law Journal. In her personal time, Sharon devotes time to several nonprofit organizations, including serving on the Board of Trustees of a private liberal arts college.
Chief of Staff and Attorney Advisor, FTC Commissioner Mark Meador
John Ehrett is Chief of Staff and Attorney Advisor to FTC Commissioner Mark Meador. He previously served as Senior Counsel at the U.S. Department of Education and Chief Counsel to U.S. Senator Josh Hawley. Prior to that, he was an associate at Gibson Dunn and a law clerk to Judge James Ho on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and Judge Alex Kozinski on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. He is a graduate of Yale Law School and Patrick Henry College.
Judge, United States Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit
Judge Katsas was appointed to the D.C. Circuit in December 2017. He graduated from Princeton University and Harvard Law School, where he was an executive editor on the Harvard Law Review. Between 1989 and 1992, he served as a law clerk to Judge Edward Becker on the Third Circuit, to then-Judge Clarence Thomas on the D.C. Circuit, and to Justice Thomas on the Supreme Court. Between 1992 and 2001, he was an associate and then partner in the Washington office of Jones Day, where he specialized in appellate and complex civil litigation. Between 2001 and 2009, he served in many senior positions in the Department of Justice, including as Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division and as Acting Associate Attorney General. In 2009, he returned to Jones Day. From January to December 2017, he served as Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Counsel to the President.
Before joining the bench, Judge Katsas argued more than 75 appeals, including three cases in the Supreme Court, 13 cases in the D.C. Circuit, and cases in every other federal court of appeals. By appointment of the Chief Justice, he served on the Advisory Committee on Appellate Rules from 2013 to 2017. In 2016, he was elected to membership in the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers.
Professor of Law and Rouse Chairholder, Antonin Scalia Law School, George Mason University
Professor Miller holds an Allison and Dorothy Rouse Chair in Law at the Antonin Scalia Law School. An elected member of the American Law Institute and a research member of the European Corporate Governance Institute, Professor Miller is also a Fellow and the Co-Director of the Program on Organizations, Business and Markets at the Classical Liberal Institute at the New York University Law School, an Adjunct Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, and an Affiliated Scholar at the James Wilson Institute on Natural Rights and the American Founding. Prior to joining George Mason University in 2025, Professor Miller was the F. Arnold Daum Chair in Corporate Finance and Law and a Professor of Law at the University of Iowa College of Law, where he had also served as the Associate Dean for Faculty Development.
Professor Miller’s research concerns corporate and securities law, the economic analysis of law, and the philosophy of law. He is particularly interested in applying economic concepts and methods to understand provisions in contracts between sophisticated commercial parties. He has written on material adverse effect clauses under Delaware law, the fiduciary duties of corporate directors, director oversight liability, the history and development of Delaware corporate law, and much more. His articles and working papers are available on his SSRN page.
Professor Miller has been cited by federal and state courts in the United States, including the Delaware Supreme Court and the Delaware Court of Chancery, as well as by the Commercial Court of the United Kingdom and the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (Commercial List) in Canada. Additionally, he is a member of the Committee on Mergers, Acquisitions & Corporate Control Contests and a former chair of the Corporation Law Committee of the New York City Bar Association.
Earlier in his career, Professor Miller was a Professor of Law at the Villanova University School of Law and the Associate Director of the Matthew J. Ryan Center for the Study of Free Institutions and the Public Good at Villanova University. He has been a Visiting Professor of Law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, a Visiting Assistant Professor of Law at the Cardozo Law School, and an Olin Fellow in Law and Economics at the Columbia Law School.
Before entering academia, Professor Miller was an associate with Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. He earned his J.D. from the Yale Law School where he was a Senior Editor of the Yale Law Journal and an Olin Fellow in Law, Economics and Public Policy. He earned his M.A. and M.Phil. degrees in philosophy from Columbia University, where he held a Mellon Fellowship in the Humanities from the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation and a Western Civilization Fellowship from the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. He earned his B.A. in philosophy and mathematics from Columbia College.
Director of Research, American Economic Liberties Project
Matt Stoller is a public intellectual who writes about the American anti-monopoly
tradition. He is the author of the Simon and Schuster book Goliath: The Hundred Year
War Between Monopoly Power and Democracy. Stoller is the Director of Research at
the American Economic Liberties Project. He publishes an email newsletter called BIG.
Stoller is a former policy advisor to the Senate Budget Committee, and worked in the House of Representatives on the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform Act.
He has lectured on competition policy and media at Columbia University, Harvard Law, Duke Law, Bertelsmann Foundation, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, West Point and the National Communications Commission of Taiwan. His writing has appeared in the Washington Post, the New York Times, Fast Company, Foreign Policy, the Guardian, Vice, The American Conservative, and the Baffler.
He has also produced for MSNBC and starred in a short-lived television show on FX called Brand X with Russell Brand.
Solicitor General, Iowa Office of the Attorney General
Eric Wessan serves as Iowa’s Solicitor General in the Iowa Attorney General’s Office. In that
role, Wessan leads Iowa’s litigation before State and federal appellate courts, including the Iowa
and U.S. Supreme Courts. Before that role, Wessan worked on complex commercial litigation at
two large law firms in Chicago. Wessan also served as a law clerk for the Honorable James C.
Ho on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and for the Honorable John F. Kness on the
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Wessan is a graduate of the University of
Chicago Law School, with honors, and of the University of Chicago.
Attorney, Competitive Enterprise Institute
Devin Watkins is an attorney at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. Devin Watkins previously worked at the Cato Institute as a legal associate and interned at the Institute for Justice. At the Cato Institute, Watkins worked on a variety of Supreme Court cases, and one of the briefs he worked on was cited by the Court. His op-eds have appeared in National Review Online, The Hill, Time, and The Federalist among others.
Watkins holds a Juris Doctor cum laude from George Mason University's Antonin Scalia Law School, where he was the development editor on the Mason Law Review. Prior to his legal career Watkins was a senior software developer at Intel and WebMD. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Watkins is a member of the Virginia State Bar, the District of Columbia Bar, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia Bar, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit Bar.
Attorney, Competitive Enterprise Institute
Devin Watkins is an attorney at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. Devin Watkins previously worked at the Cato Institute as a legal associate and interned at the Institute for Justice. At the Cato Institute, Watkins worked on a variety of Supreme Court cases, and one of the briefs he worked on was cited by the Court. His op-eds have appeared in National Review Online, The Hill, Time, and The Federalist among others.
Watkins holds a Juris Doctor cum laude from George Mason University's Antonin Scalia Law School, where he was the development editor on the Mason Law Review. Prior to his legal career Watkins was a senior software developer at Intel and WebMD. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Watkins is a member of the Virginia State Bar, the District of Columbia Bar, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia Bar, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit Bar.
Chief Legal Officer, IEX Group, Inc.
Rachel Barnett oversees all legal and compliance matters for IEX Group, Inc. She is an experienced lawyer who has held a wide variety of roles as in-house General Counsel and within private practice.
Rachel joined IEX from Brooks Brothers where she served as General Counsel and Secretary overseeing its global legal affairs. She played a critical role selling America's oldest retail brand after it had filed for bankruptcy during the COVID pandemic. Before Brooks Brothers in 2019, Rachel was a member of the Board of Directors and General Counsel of Travelzoo, a publicly traded global media company and online marketplace for travel deals and experiences.
Prior to going in-house, Rachel worked as an attorney at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom, LLP where she specialized in litigation matters, including merger and acquisition litigation, shareholder derivative lawsuits and securities fraud class actions at both the trial court and appellate levels.
Rachel is a current Lecturer in Law at Columbia Law School where she also earned her Juris Doctor degree. She is member of the bar in both New York and Delaware and received a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University.
Agnes Williams Sesquicentennial Professor of Financial Technology, Georgetown Law
Chris Brummer is the Agnes Williams Sesquicentennial Professor of Financial Technology at Georgetown University Law Center and the Faculty Director of Georgetown’s Institute of International Economic Law. As a professor, advisor, board member and advocate, Chris has lent his expertise to policymakers, founders, startups, and nonprofits around the world grappling with some of the most challenging puzzles facing innovation, regulation, and inclusion. His work has been featured in The New York Times, CNN, Marketwatch, Fast Company, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Yahoo Money, Roll Call, Cointelegraph, and Coin Desk, among others.
Chris’s public service and volunteer work extend across government. In addition to serving as a member of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s Subcommittee on Virtual Currencies and the Consultative Working Group for the European Securities and Markets Authority’s Financial Innovation Standing Committee, Chris has served as a member of the National Adjudicatory Council of FINRA. Most recently, he served as a member of the Biden-Harris Transition team, assisting in leading work streams relating to financial technology, racial equity and systemic risk for the Treasury ART. He is currently the Co-Chair of CNAS Task Force on FinTech, Crypto, and National Security.
A frequent speaker and lecturer, Chris was asked to deliver the keynote speech for the SEC’s Black History celebration in 2021, FinCEN’s Black History celebration in 2022, and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency’s celebration in 2023.
Chris graduated summa cum laude from Washington University in St. Louis, holds a J.D. with honors from Columbia Law School and a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. He is the author or editor of several books, including Cryptoassets: Legal, Regulatory and Monetary Perspectives and Fintech Law in a Nutshell.
Chris is the host of CQ Roll Call’s Fintech Beat podcast, and founder of Washington DC’s Fintech Week, an annual free event for the public.
Partner, Foley & Lardner LLP
Patrick Daugherty is a senior corporate and securities law partner of Foley & Lardner LLP, based in Chicago. He also is an adjunct professor of Cornell Law School, where he teaches in residence each Fall Term.
Mr. Daugherty is a member of the Bar in New York, the District of Columbia, North Carolina, Michigan and Illinois. Credentialing organizations have named him “Lawyer of the Year” in both Michigan (2007) and Illinois (2022). A graduate of Northwestern University and of Cornell Law School (Class of 1981), he clerked for SDNY Chief Judge Lloyd F. MacMahon for a year before entering private practice. Mr. Daugherty also served as Counsel to SEC Commissioner Edward H. Fleischman in Washington, D.C., from 1986 to 1989. An Emeritus Member of the American Law Institute, he is the author, co-author or editor of several books and many articles on securities regulation and new financial products.
Mr. Daugherty believes that he was the first lawyer inside the SEC to join the Federalist Society when he became a member in the late 1980s. A mainstay of the Chicago Lawyers Chapter, at the national level of the Society he serves on the Executive Committee for the Financial Services & E-Commerce Practice Group.
Partner, WilmerHale
William McLucas joined the firm after serving for more than eight years as Director of Enforcement for the Securities and Exchange Commission—longer than any other Enforcement Division Director in Commission history. He represents public companies, investment banks, accounting firms and advisors to mutual funds facing a variety of corporate and market crises, as well as Securities and Exchange Commission investigations.
In 1977, Mr. McLucas joined the Securities and Exchange Commission's Division of Enforcement. He led the Division's Staff in numerous high-profile investigations and landmark enforcement actions, including hundreds of insider trading cases and numerous inquiries and proceedings involving public companies, accounting firms, investment banks, and participants in the municipal securities markets.
In addition, Mr. McLucas has overseen numerous audit committee and special committee inquiries, and has also represented numerous corporate executives and directors in connection with Securities and Exchange Commission investigations.
Associate, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher
Brian A. Richman is an associate in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. He practices in the firm’s Litigation Department, and is a member of the Appellate and Constitutional Law and Administrative Law and Regulatory practice groups.
Mr. Richman represents clients in high-stakes appellate, administrative law, and litigation matters. His practice includes litigating cutting-edge constitutional and administrative law issues, challenging agency rulemakings, and defending against government enforcement actions, along with other complex litigation matters. He has extensive experience in the financial services sector.
Before joining the firm, Mr. Richman clerked for Judge Stephen F. Williams of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. He also practiced at a New York law firm, where he focused on commercial litigation and white collar defense and investigations. Mr. Richman is a former securities compliance officer at Goldman Sachs, and has handled numerous regulatory matters involving the SEC, CFTC, FERC, FINRA, and the Federal Reserve.
Mr. Richman received his JD from Yale Law School, where he was a lead editor on the Yale Journal on Regulation, and a semi-finalist in both the Morris Tyler Moot Court of Appeals and Thomas Swan Barristers’ Union Mock Trial Competition. In 2011, Mr. Richman graduated from Cornell University with a B.S., with honors, in Policy Analysis and Management.
Mr. Richman is admitted to practice in New York and the District of Columbia. He is also admitted to the United States Courts of Appeals for the Second and D.C. Circuits, and the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.
Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission
Paul S. Atkins was sworn into office as the 34th Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 21, 2025, after being nominated by President Donald J. Trump on January 20, 2025, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on April 9, 2025.
Prior to returning to the SEC, Chairman Atkins was most recently chief executive of Patomak Global Partners, a company he founded in 2009. Chairman Atkins helped lead efforts to develop best practices for the digital asset sector. He served as an independent director and non-executive chairman of the board of BATS Global Markets, Inc. from 2012 to 2015.
Chairman Atkins was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as a Commissioner of the SEC from 2002 to 2008. During his tenure, he advocated for transparency, consistency, and the use of cost-benefit analysis at the agency. Chairman Atkins also represented the SEC at meetings of the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets and the U.S.-EU Transatlantic Economic Council. From 2009 to 2010, he was appointed a member of the Congressional Oversight Panel for the Troubled Asset Relief Program.
Before serving as an SEC Commissioner, Chairman Atkins was a consultant on securities and investment management industry matters, especially regarding issues of strategy, regulatory compliance, risk management, new product development, and organizational control.
From 1990 to 1994, Chairman Atkins served on the staff of two chairmen of the SEC, Richard C. Breeden and Arthur Levitt, ultimately as chief of staff and counselor, respectively. He received the SEC’s 1992 Law and Policy Award for work regarding corporate governance matters.
Chairman Atkins began his career as a lawyer in New York, focusing on a wide range of corporate transactions for U.S. and foreign clients, including public and private securities offerings and mergers and acquisitions. He was resident for 2½ years in his firm's Paris office and admitted as conseil juridique in France.
A member of the New York and Florida bars, Chairman Atkins received his J.D. from Vanderbilt University School of Law in 1983 and was Senior Student Writing Editor of the Vanderbilt Law Review. He received his A.B., Phi Beta Kappa, from Wofford College in 1980.
Originally from Lillington, North Carolina, Chairman Atkins grew up in Tampa, Florida. He and his wife Sarah have three sons.
Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel, U.S. Department of Justice
T. Elliot Gaiser is the Office of Legal Counsel’s 27th Assistant Attorney General. He was nominated by President Donald Trump on April 29, 2025, confirmed by the United States Senate on July 30, 2025, and sworn in as AAG by Attorney General Pam Bondi on August 4, 2025.
Prior to joining the Office of Legal Counsel, Mr. Gaiser served as the 11th Solicitor General of Ohio. In that role, he represented his home state and its agencies before the Supreme Court of the United States, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, the Supreme Court of Ohio, and other state and federal courts. He also advised Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost on significant legal and constitutional matters important to the people of Ohio.
Mr. Gaiser clerked for Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr. of the Supreme Court of the United States, Judge Neomi Rao of the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, and Judge Edith H. Jones of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. In the private sector, Mr. Gaiser worked at the law firms Jones Day, Boyden Gray, and Gibson Dunn. He graduated from the University of Chicago Law School and Hillsdale College. He is also a husband and father.
Partner, O'Melveny & Myers LLP
Gregory Jacob is a partner in O’Melveny’s Washington, D.C. office. Greg Jacob represents financial services companies including banks, investment managers, health care payors, and insurers, as well as other employers, in class action and other litigation concerning ERISA and other labor and employment matters. A former Solicitor of Labor, Greg has extensive knowledge on a wide variety of labor and employment issues including ERISA, FLSA, OFCCP, and whistleblower law. He regularly litigates in federal courts throughout the country, defends clients against Department of Labor investigations, and provides counseling to plans and plan sponsors.
Prior to rejoining O’Melveny in 2021, Greg served as Counsel to Vice President Pence and Deputy Assistant to the President. He directly advised the Vice President on all legal issues relating to the Office of the Vice President, and advised the White House Coronavirus Task Force concerning the Defense Production Act and other legal issues related to bolstering the domestic supply chain.
Managing Partner, Rose Legal Advisory PLLC
Sharon is an experienced regulatory counsel and advocate in enforcement and litigation matters. She regularly represents corporations and individuals in investigations and proceedings before federal and state regulatory agencies and in related litigation, including the Department of Labor, Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. She has extensive experience advising clients on issues related to compliance with the federal securities and commodities laws and other laws and regulations that impact corporate entities, including federal contractor obligations, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), the False Claims Act (FCA), the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), and federal and state employment laws. She has represented clients worldwide in matters involving alleged fraud, market manipulation, disruptive trading practices, insider trading, accounting and internal controls irregularities, and other financial and trading issues. In addition to matters before the federal government, she represents clients in enforcement proceedings and other inquiries by state regulatory agencies, regulated exchanges, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), and foreign government agencies.
Sharon previously served as Senior Counsel in the Office of the Solicitor at the Department of Labor, where she advised the Office of the Secretary and Department agencies on a variety of regulatory, enforcement, and litigation matters. She was integrally involved in several key rulemakings and litigation actions within the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), including those concerning fiduciary investment advice, ESG investing, proxy voting, QPAM exemptions, health and welfare benefit plans, and important reforms to OFCCP’s procedures for non-discrimination enforcement actions. She routinely liaised with DOJ and other executive branch departments on joint litigation matters and amicus briefs requested by the Supreme Court addressing first amendment and ERISA issues.
Prior to entering government service, Sharon practiced in the Washington, D.C. and Singapore offices of an international law firm. She subsequently co-founded a litigation boutique firm representing plaintiffs and defendants in government enforcement and litigation matters and merged the practice into Berliner Corcoran & Rowe in 2022. Sharon is a summa cum laude graduate of Westmont College, earned her M.B.A. at the Claremont Graduate University—Drucker School of Management, and earned her law degree from the University of California, Davis, where she was an editor of the U.C. Davis Law Review and the U.C. Davis Business Law Journal. In her personal time, Sharon devotes time to several nonprofit organizations, including serving on the Board of Trustees of a private liberal arts college.
Attorney, Competitive Enterprise Institute
Devin Watkins is an attorney at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. Devin Watkins previously worked at the Cato Institute as a legal associate and interned at the Institute for Justice. At the Cato Institute, Watkins worked on a variety of Supreme Court cases, and one of the briefs he worked on was cited by the Court. His op-eds have appeared in National Review Online, The Hill, Time, and The Federalist among others.
Watkins holds a Juris Doctor cum laude from George Mason University's Antonin Scalia Law School, where he was the development editor on the Mason Law Review. Prior to his legal career Watkins was a senior software developer at Intel and WebMD. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Watkins is a member of the Virginia State Bar, the District of Columbia Bar, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia Bar, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit Bar.
Chief Legal Officer, IEX Group, Inc.
Rachel Barnett oversees all legal and compliance matters for IEX Group, Inc. She is an experienced lawyer who has held a wide variety of roles as in-house General Counsel and within private practice.
Rachel joined IEX from Brooks Brothers where she served as General Counsel and Secretary overseeing its global legal affairs. She played a critical role selling America's oldest retail brand after it had filed for bankruptcy during the COVID pandemic. Before Brooks Brothers in 2019, Rachel was a member of the Board of Directors and General Counsel of Travelzoo, a publicly traded global media company and online marketplace for travel deals and experiences.
Prior to going in-house, Rachel worked as an attorney at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom, LLP where she specialized in litigation matters, including merger and acquisition litigation, shareholder derivative lawsuits and securities fraud class actions at both the trial court and appellate levels.
Rachel is a current Lecturer in Law at Columbia Law School where she also earned her Juris Doctor degree. She is member of the bar in both New York and Delaware and received a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University.
Agnes Williams Sesquicentennial Professor of Financial Technology, Georgetown Law
Chris Brummer is the Agnes Williams Sesquicentennial Professor of Financial Technology at Georgetown University Law Center and the Faculty Director of Georgetown’s Institute of International Economic Law. As a professor, advisor, board member and advocate, Chris has lent his expertise to policymakers, founders, startups, and nonprofits around the world grappling with some of the most challenging puzzles facing innovation, regulation, and inclusion. His work has been featured in The New York Times, CNN, Marketwatch, Fast Company, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Yahoo Money, Roll Call, Cointelegraph, and Coin Desk, among others.
Chris’s public service and volunteer work extend across government. In addition to serving as a member of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s Subcommittee on Virtual Currencies and the Consultative Working Group for the European Securities and Markets Authority’s Financial Innovation Standing Committee, Chris has served as a member of the National Adjudicatory Council of FINRA. Most recently, he served as a member of the Biden-Harris Transition team, assisting in leading work streams relating to financial technology, racial equity and systemic risk for the Treasury ART. He is currently the Co-Chair of CNAS Task Force on FinTech, Crypto, and National Security.
A frequent speaker and lecturer, Chris was asked to deliver the keynote speech for the SEC’s Black History celebration in 2021, FinCEN’s Black History celebration in 2022, and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency’s celebration in 2023.
Chris graduated summa cum laude from Washington University in St. Louis, holds a J.D. with honors from Columbia Law School and a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. He is the author or editor of several books, including Cryptoassets: Legal, Regulatory and Monetary Perspectives and Fintech Law in a Nutshell.
Chris is the host of CQ Roll Call’s Fintech Beat podcast, and founder of Washington DC’s Fintech Week, an annual free event for the public.
Partner, Foley & Lardner LLP
Patrick Daugherty is a senior corporate and securities law partner of Foley & Lardner LLP, based in Chicago. He also is an adjunct professor of Cornell Law School, where he teaches in residence each Fall Term.
Mr. Daugherty is a member of the Bar in New York, the District of Columbia, North Carolina, Michigan and Illinois. Credentialing organizations have named him “Lawyer of the Year” in both Michigan (2007) and Illinois (2022). A graduate of Northwestern University and of Cornell Law School (Class of 1981), he clerked for SDNY Chief Judge Lloyd F. MacMahon for a year before entering private practice. Mr. Daugherty also served as Counsel to SEC Commissioner Edward H. Fleischman in Washington, D.C., from 1986 to 1989. An Emeritus Member of the American Law Institute, he is the author, co-author or editor of several books and many articles on securities regulation and new financial products.
Mr. Daugherty believes that he was the first lawyer inside the SEC to join the Federalist Society when he became a member in the late 1980s. A mainstay of the Chicago Lawyers Chapter, at the national level of the Society he serves on the Executive Committee for the Financial Services & E-Commerce Practice Group.
Partner, WilmerHale
William McLucas joined the firm after serving for more than eight years as Director of Enforcement for the Securities and Exchange Commission—longer than any other Enforcement Division Director in Commission history. He represents public companies, investment banks, accounting firms and advisors to mutual funds facing a variety of corporate and market crises, as well as Securities and Exchange Commission investigations.
In 1977, Mr. McLucas joined the Securities and Exchange Commission's Division of Enforcement. He led the Division's Staff in numerous high-profile investigations and landmark enforcement actions, including hundreds of insider trading cases and numerous inquiries and proceedings involving public companies, accounting firms, investment banks, and participants in the municipal securities markets.
In addition, Mr. McLucas has overseen numerous audit committee and special committee inquiries, and has also represented numerous corporate executives and directors in connection with Securities and Exchange Commission investigations.
Associate, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher
Brian A. Richman is an associate in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. He practices in the firm’s Litigation Department, and is a member of the Appellate and Constitutional Law and Administrative Law and Regulatory practice groups.
Mr. Richman represents clients in high-stakes appellate, administrative law, and litigation matters. His practice includes litigating cutting-edge constitutional and administrative law issues, challenging agency rulemakings, and defending against government enforcement actions, along with other complex litigation matters. He has extensive experience in the financial services sector.
Before joining the firm, Mr. Richman clerked for Judge Stephen F. Williams of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. He also practiced at a New York law firm, where he focused on commercial litigation and white collar defense and investigations. Mr. Richman is a former securities compliance officer at Goldman Sachs, and has handled numerous regulatory matters involving the SEC, CFTC, FERC, FINRA, and the Federal Reserve.
Mr. Richman received his JD from Yale Law School, where he was a lead editor on the Yale Journal on Regulation, and a semi-finalist in both the Morris Tyler Moot Court of Appeals and Thomas Swan Barristers’ Union Mock Trial Competition. In 2011, Mr. Richman graduated from Cornell University with a B.S., with honors, in Policy Analysis and Management.
Mr. Richman is admitted to practice in New York and the District of Columbia. He is also admitted to the United States Courts of Appeals for the Second and D.C. Circuits, and the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.
Topics
An Ambitious SEC Tackles Cryptocurrency
In a webinar hosted by the Federalist Society’s Financial Services & E-Commerce Practice Group, a...
Utah v. Su: Are DOL (and SEC) regulations that encourage ESG investing lawful?
Paul S. Atkins, T. Elliot Gaiser, Gregory Frederick Jacob, Sharon A. Rose
The panelists will discuss Biden Administration policies and regulations at the DOL and SEC addressing...
Utah v. Su: Are DOL (and SEC) regulations that encourage ESG investing lawful?
Paul S. Atkins, T. Elliot Gaiser, Gregory Frederick Jacob, Sharon A. Rose
The panelists will discuss Biden Administration policies and regulations at the DOL and SEC addressing...
Utah v. Su: Are DOL (and SEC) regulations that encourage ESG investing lawful?
Panel 2: The Challenge of Citizens United
John Ehrett, Gregory G. Katsas, Robert T. Miller, Matt Stoller, Eric Wessan
How did corporate rights evolve to include expressive constitutional rights akin to those of a...
Courthouse Steps Decision: SEC v. Jarkesy
Devin Watkins
On June 27, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court issued their opinion in SEC v. Jarkesy. The...
Courthouse Steps Decision: SEC v. Jarkesy
Devin Watkins
On June 27, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court issued their opinion in SEC v. Jarkesy. The...
Courthouse Steps Decision: SEC v. Jarkesy
The SEC and Cryptocurrency
The SEC and Cryptocurrency
Rachel Barnett, Chris Brummer, Patrick Daugherty, William McLucas, Brian Richman
This event will survey the SEC's current involvement in the cryptocurrency field. The conversation will...