The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently named Bridget Fitzpatrick Chief Litigation Counsel while David Gottesman will continue to serve as the agency’s Deputy Chief Litigation Counsel.
SEC officials said since December 2016, Fitzpatrick and Gottesman served as Co-Acting Chief Litigation Counsel – jointly responsible for supervising the trial unit at the agency’s Washington D.C., headquarters, as well as coordinating with litigators in the SEC’s 11 regional offices around the country.
The SEC said, as Chief Litigation Counsel, Fitzpatrick, who previously served as a supervisor and trial lawyer in the SEC’s Enforcement Division during several successful cases while trying highly complex matters, would oversee the agency’s national litigation program.
“I am honored to have been chosen to lead the SEC’s trial program and look forward to working with David and the SEC’s talented trial lawyers nationwide to continue our fight to protect investors from wrongdoers,” said Fitzpatrick, who has twice received the Chairman’s Award for Excellence and also received the Arthur F. Flemming Award for excellence in public service.
Officials said Gottesman’s responsibilities will include oversight of all trial lawyers in the SEC’s Washington, D.C., headquarters, noting he previously served as a supervisor and a trial lawyer in the SEC’s Enforcement Division, where he litigated cases involving accounting and disclosure fraud, market manipulation, offering frauds and insider trading.
“I look forward to working with Bridget to continue to build upon the successes of our strong litigation program and look forward to leading the agency’s Washington, D.C.- based trial lawyers to success in the agency’s litigation against wrongdoers,” Gottesman said.