The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) named Richard Best as regional director of its Atlanta office, succeeding Walter Jospin, who is leaving the agency at the end of January.
Most recently, Best served as director of the SEC’s Salt Lake office, where he led the prosecution of several high-profile cases.
Best joined the SEC from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) in New York, where he was a senior director and chief counsel in its Department of Enforcement.
Prior to FINRA, he spent 10 years as a prosecutor in the Office of the Bronx County District Attorney, where he handled, among other things, organized crime prosecutions.
As director of the SEC’s Atlanta office, Best will lead a staff of more than 160 enforcement attorneys, accountants, investigators, and compliance examiners involved in the investigation and prosecution of enforcement actions. The office covers Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama.
“I am excited that Richard is taking over as head of our Atlanta Regional Office, and I thank Walter for his exemplary service,” SEC Chairman Jay Clayton said. “Richard has made a lasting impression in the Salt Lake Regional Office and I am confident that he will continue to protect the long-term interests of American investors through his leadership in Atlanta.”
Best graduated from the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and earned his law degree from the Howard University School of Law.
“I am excited and honored to serve with such a talented group of professionals in the Atlanta Regional Office,” Best said. “Their dedication and skill is evidenced by the office’s many significant accomplishments. I look forward to working with them to protect investors and maintain fair and orderly markets.”