Yesterday, the SEC announced that current Gibson Dunn partner Jim Moloney has been named the new Director of the Division of Corporation Finance.

Mr. Moloney previously served at the SEC for six years prior to joining Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, where he has worked the past 25 years, ascending from corporate associate to equity partner. He has served as a longstanding co-chair of the firm’s securities regulation and corporate governance practice. He has advised a wide base of clients on corporate governance matters, disclosure rules, mergers & acquisitions, tender offers, proxy contests, and going-private transactions among other areas.

During his tenure at the SEC from 1994 to 2000, Mr. Moloney was an attorney-advisor and later a special counsel in the Office of Mergers & Acquisitions in the Division of Corporation Finance. Notably, Mr. Moloney was the primary author of the proposing and adopting releases for Regulation M-A, a comprehensive set of rules governing mergers & acquisitions, tender offers and proxy solicitations.

I would note a lesser-appreciated accomplishment from Jim’s biography — that he got his J.D. cum laude from Pepperdine University. I’m convinced this is another reason he is well-suited to tackle the Commission’s ambitious agenda. If you can study amidst those Malibu ocean views, you can do anything.

His appointment will be effective next month, and Acting Director Cicely LaMothe will return to her role as a Deputy Director of Corp Fin. We’re updating our “List of Corp Fin Directors” for the news! Unfortunately, it also looks like we’ll need to update our list of advisory board members for TheCorporateCounsel.net and DealLawyers.com. Jim’s been a valued member of both for many years, but we’re guessing that his new position with the SEC won’t allow him to continue in that capacity. We’re grateful for all the contributions Jim’s made to our sites over the years and wish him every success in his new role!

– Meredith Ervine