January 17, 2023
SEC Announces New Corp Fin Director! Erik Gerding
On Friday, the SEC announced that Renee Jones, who has been the Director of Corp Fin since June 2021, will be departing the agency February 3rd to return to her faculty position at Boston College Law School. Erik Gerding, who is currently Corp Fin’s Deputy Director, will be appointed Director.
Renee hit the ground running and had a very busy tenure as Director. The SEC’s press release highlights the rulemaking and other activities that have happened during the past 1.5 years:
While in the role, she oversaw the Division’s work that resulted in the proposal of 12 rules and the adoption of nine rules covering topics such as the disclosure of climate-related risks and cybersecurity risks, special purpose acquisition companies, executive compensation, and insider trading. She also oversaw the Division’s disclosure review program as it sought enhanced corporate disclosures on climate risks and crypto asset risks, and implemented the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act.
As many folks reading this know, in addition to many years as a law professor, Erik started his career as a lawyer at Cleary. Here’s more detail:
Mr. Gerding joined the SEC in October 2021 and leads Legal and Regulatory Policy in the Division of Corporation Finance. He has taught as Professor of Law and a Wolf-Nichol Fellow at the University of Colorado Law School, where he has focused in the areas of securities law, corporate law, and financial regulation. Mr. Gerding previously taught at the University of New Mexico School of Law. He also practiced in the New York and Washington, D.C., offices of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, representing clients in the financial services and technology industries in an array of financial transactions and regulatory matters. He received an undergraduate degree from Duke University and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.
I look forward to seeing what Erik does as Director. As John and Dave recently blogged, Chair Gensler has put forth another ambitious Reg Flex Agenda for the upcoming year.
– Liz Dunshee