Woodcock will succeed Sam Waldon, who has served as acting director and will continue in that role until the transition, according to the SEC's announcement.
SEC Chairman Paul S. Atkins tied the appointment to what he described as a shift in enforcement priorities. "The Division of Enforcement has undergone a significant course correction, restoring Congressional intent by prioritizing cases that provide meaningful investor protection and strengthen market integrity," Atkins said.
Atkins said Woodcock would bring experience spanning government, private practice, in-house work and accounting. "With experience as a senior officer at the SEC, global law firm partner, a certified public accountant, and senior in-house corporate attorney, David is a foremost expert in all relevant facets of securities law and has deep institutional knowledge," Atkins said. The chairman added that he looked forward to Woodcock "leading our 1,000+ team of talented enforcement investigators, trial attorneys, accountants, and other professionals."
In a statement released by the agency, Woodcock said he was "honored to join the exceptionally talented team in the Enforcement Division" and pledged to "lead the division with the highest level of professionalism and rigor as we execute the Chairman's vision and ensure the integrity of our financial markets."
During his earlier SEC tenure, Woodcock created and chaired the agency's Financial Reporting and Audit Task Force, a cross-division group designed, the SEC said, "to enhance the SEC's detection and prosecution of violations involving accounting and false financial statements." He also served on the Enforcement Advisory Committee.
Woodcock's practice at Gibson Dunn, based in the firm's Dallas and Washington, D.C. offices, focused on regulatory enforcement, internal investigations and corporate governance. Before joining the firm, he was a senior in-house corporate attorney at Exxon Mobil Corporation. He has taught securities, ethics and compliance as an adjunct professor at Texas A&M University School of Law for more than a decade.
He holds an accounting degree from Louisiana State University and a JD from the University of Texas School of Law.