SEC Official to Join Wilmer

Daniel Gallagher, deputy director of trading and markets at the Securities and Exchange Commission, is leaving to join Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr as a partner at the end of the month.

Gallagher began work at the SEC in January 2006, serving as counsel to Commissioner Paul Atkins and later to Chairman Christopher Cox. He was named a deputy director of the trading and markets division in 2008 and served as co-acting director from April until earlier this month - when Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton partner Robert Cook came on board as the new head of the division.

At the trading division, Gallagher oversaw issues related to the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers, a rulemaking on credit rating agencies, and efforts to facilitate the central clearing of credit default swaps.

Prior to joining the SEC, he was general counsel of Fiserv Securities Inc., which is headquartered in Philadelphia.

"Dan's knowledge and insight have served this agency well during a very difficult time in the markets," said SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro in a statement. "He has helped to simplify complex policies, worked on significant broker-dealer and market structure reforms, and demonstrated a true desire to serve the interests of the investing public."

News of Gallagher’s departure comes on the heels of several other SEC departures:

On Jan. 20 it was announced that Fredric Firestone would step down as an associate director of enforcement to join McDermott Will & Emery as a partner.

In December, George Curtis, who was a special advisor to the director of the division of enforcement, returned to Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, where he had spent 30 years prior to joining the SEC in 2006.

Also in December, chief litigation counsel Luis Mejia left to join DLA Piper as a partner. Mejia told the BLT that he had two children about to enter college and that returning to the private sector was a “great opportunity at a great time.”

Comments

[Adam Engel]

Souns like good news all around. I worked with Mr. Gallagher when he started out at Wilmer Cutler & Pickering out of law school, and knew him then as a hardworking but friendly and generous colleague. I'm sure his return to his roots will be great for both him and the firm.
Adam Engel