US SEC Appoints David Woodcock As Enforcement Director

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has appointed David Woodcock as its next Enforcement Director following the exit of Margaret Ryan. Woodcock will assume the role effective May 4, 2026, and oversee a division of more than 1,000 staff.

Woodcock is currently a Partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in Dallas. He previously led the SEC’s Fort Worth regional office from 2011 to 2015, where he worked on initiatives targeting accounting and reporting violations. After leaving the agency, he held roles at Jones Day and ExxonMobil before returning to private practice. Woodcock holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Texas School of Law, completed between 1997 and 2000. Prior to his legal studies, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Louisiana State University, where he studied from 1986 to 1992.