Joseph K. Brenner is joining the SEC as Chief Counsel of the Division of Enforcement. The SEC announced today that Brenner expects to begin his employment with the agency in the next several weeks.
Brenner joins the SEC from law firm Wilmer Cutler, where he has been a partner since 1990. At Wilmer, Brenner was Vice Chair of the firm’s Securities Department and a member of its Securities Litigation and Enforcement Practice Group.
Brenner will fill the Chief Counsel position previously held by Joan McKown for 17 years. McKown left the agency in August 2010 to join law firm Jones Day. The SEC stated that as Chief Counsel, Brenner will “oversee the process of providing legal and policy advice on potential enforcement actions before they are recommended to the Commission for approval.”