Curtis Leaves SEC To Return To Gibson Dunn

Here’s the first big name to leave the SEC for private practice since we chose lawyer movement from the government to private practice and from private practice to the government as the #10 Financial Fraud Law issue of 2009: George Curtis, Special Advisor to the Director of the Division of Enforcement, has returned to the private sector to rejoin the law firm of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher as partner.

Curtis joined the SEC staff in 2006 as the Regional Director of the SEC's Denver Regional Office after 30 years in private practice with Gibson, Dunn. He was named a Deputy Director of the Division of Enforcement in 2008, and continued in that role until becoming Special Advisor in September 2009. 

As Deputy Director of Enforcement from 2008-2009, a position he shared with Scott Friestad, Curtis worked closely with the staff nationwide in responding to the financial crisis, while also maintaining and expanding the SEC’s focus on preventing and punishing fraud on investors.
 
For background, see http://www.financialfraudlaw.com/lawblog/2009%E2%80%99s-top-financial-fraud-law-issues-10-%E2%80%93-offense-and-defense-build-their-teams/544;and http://www.gibsondunn.com/News/Pages/FormerSECDeputyDirectorofEnforcementGeorgeCurtisReturnstoGibsonDunn.aspx.