Woodcock, who chairs Gibson Dunn's Securities Enforcement Practice Group from the firm's Dallas and Washington offices, will return to the SEC after previously serving as Director of the Fort Worth Regional Office from 2011 to 2015. Sam Waldon will continue as Acting Director until Woodcock assumes the role.
The appointment comes as the SEC emphasizes what Chairman Atkins described as a refocusing on "cases that provide meaningful investor protection and strengthen market integrity" and "the types of misconduct that inflict the greatest harm to investors." Atkins praised the division's recent "course correction" to restore what he called Congressional intent in enforcement priorities.
Woodcock will oversee more than 1,000 enforcement staff including investigators, trial attorneys, accountants, and other professionals. During his previous SEC tenure, he led enforcement and examinations lawyers, oversaw investigations across major enforcement areas, and created the cross-division Financial Reporting and Audit Task Force focused on accounting violations and false financial statements.
The appointment reflects the new administration's emphasis on enforcement experience and private sector expertise. Woodcock brings experience as a certified public accountant, former senior corporate attorney at Exxon Mobil Corporation, and adjunct law professor at Texas A&M University School of Law, where he has taught securities, ethics, and compliance for over a decade.
"I am honored to join the exceptionally talented team in the Enforcement Division and look forward to advancing our vital mission of investor protection," Woodcock said in the announcement. "My commitment is 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."
Atkins emphasized Woodcock's "deep institutional knowledge" and expertise across "all relevant facets of securities law" as key qualifications for leading the enforcement program. The Chairman noted Woodcock's varied background spanning SEC service, Big Law partnership, public accounting, and corporate counsel roles.