By Mark Curriden
The Dallas Morning News
(TNS)

April 9 — The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has selected Dallas attorney David Woodcock as its new director of enforcement, a role that puts him in charge of the agency's civil securities and corporate fraud investigations and prosecutions.

Woodcock is leaving his partnership at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher — where he has worked in the firm's Dallas office since 2023 — and accepting a steep pay cut to re-enter federal service. He is set to officially join the SEC on May 4.

The appointment carries particular significance given the current regulatory climate. During the Obama administration, Woodcock led the SEC's Fort Worth Regional Office from 2011 to 2015. He now returns as the Trump administration pushes the agency to fundamentally reassess the scope and priorities of its enforcement program.

SEC Chairman Paul Atkins framed the hire as part of a broader strategic realignment. "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 in a statement. "I am incredibly pleased to have David rejoin the SEC at this critical time, as we continue to focus on the types of misconduct that inflict the greatest harm to investors."

The announcement drew immediate praise from prominent figures in the Texas legal community. Shamoil Shipchandler, chief counsel at Charles Schwab and a former SEC regional director in Texas, called Woodcock an exceptional choice. "David is an exceptional lawyer and leader with experience in so many areas that the SEC touches," Shipchandler told The Texas Lawbook. "David's leadership will be essential as the enforcement division recalibrates its priorities, institutes reforms and handles the significant attrition of staff."

Woodcock, who also serves as an adjunct professor covering securities, ethics, and compliance at Texas A&M University School of Law, did not respond to requests for comment.

Toby Galloway, a former SEC enforcement attorney now a partner at Vartabedian Katz Hester & Haynes in Fort Worth, described Woodcock as a "well-respected leader and attorney who will bring a steady hand to the Enforcement Division." Galloway noted that Woodcock's background as a CPA positions him well for the role's financial reporting dimension. "David has demonstrated a particular affinity for financial reporting cases involving public companies, not surprisingly given his background as a CPA," he said. "It will be interesting to see if he will be able to press these types of cases given the commission's current priorities."

A 2000 graduate of the University of Texas School of Law, Woodcock previously served as associate general counsel at Exxon Mobil for three years before joining Gibson Dunn, where profits per partner exceeded $8 million annually in 2025. His new salary at the SEC — where he will oversee a team of more than 1,000 lawyers, investigators, and accountants — will be approximately $320,000.

Jessica Magee, a Dallas partner at Holland & Knight and former head of SEC enforcement, called Woodcock "a great choice" while acknowledging the challenges ahead. "David will need to navigate challenges posed by resource strain and staff morale, but he has the benefit of starting the job with exceptional familiarity of the enforcement program and the credibility and considerable experience he has developed both from working at the SEC in prior years and defending against SEC investigations and enforcement actions more recently," Magee said.

"David will leverage his prior SEC service, expertise in accounting, and leadership roles as an in-house and defense attorney to bring an informed perspective to the job. I think David will, as he always has, lead with authenticity and collegiality while also ensuring staff understand and are accountable to the Chairman's vision and the importance of bringing fair and balanced cases based on admissible evidence and sound legal theory."

The Texas Lawbook is an online news publication focused on business law in Texas. For a longer version of this story, visit texaslawbook.net.

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