Meridith Mitchell Named SEC Deputy General Counsel

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2008-142

Washington, D.C., July 14, 2008 — The Securities and Exchange Commission announced today that Meridith Mitchell has been named the agency's Deputy General Counsel for Legal Policy and Administrative Practice.

Ms. Mitchell fills the position previously held by Alexander F. Cohen, who recently became the SEC's Deputy Chief of Staff. She joins Andrew N. Vollmer, who is Deputy General Counsel for Litigation and Adjudication.

Since 2000, Ms. Mitchell has been the Principal Associate General Counsel of the SEC. As part of the senior management team in the Office of the General Counsel, Ms. Mitchell has played a key role in providing legal and policy advice to the Commission on its regulatory and enforcement programs.

The SEC's General Counsel, Brian Cartwright, said, "The Commission is fortunate indeed to have someone of Meridith's caliber in this role. Her background as Principal Associate General Counsel and her leadership of the Office of Legal Policy make her uniquely qualified for the challenges of her new position. She brings to the task an encyclopedic knowledge of not only the securities laws but also administrative law. During her career at the SEC, she has worked with five Chairmen, eight General Counsels, many Commissioners and countless Division and Office heads and other staff throughout the agency. She is deeply committed to the mission of the SEC. Since I have been at the Commission, I have benefited from her judgment and experience on a daily basis. I could not be more delighted that she has agreed to serve in this new capacity."

Ms. Mitchell said, "I have a deep respect for the talented staff of the General Counsel's Office who work tirelessly in support of the Commission and its Divisions and Offices, and I take great pride in their work on behalf of America's investors. I also have had the honor of learning from the outstanding General Counsels with whom I have worked. I look forward to continuing to work alongside the staff in my new role, and I thank Chairman Cox and Brian Cartwright for this wonderful opportunity."

Ms. Mitchell joined the SEC's Office of General Counsel as a staff attorney in 1992. Prior to her role as Principal Associate General Counsel, Ms. Mitchell was Senior Counselor to the General Counsel, Counsel to Commissioner Paul R. Carey, Assistant General Counsel and Special Counsel for Corporation Finance and Accounting, and a Staff Member of the Advisory Committee on the Capital Formation and Regulatory Processes. Ms. Mitchell has received numerous awards for her dedicated work at the Commission, including the Chairman's Award for Excellence, the Capital Markets Award, the Law and Policy Award, and the Distinguished Service Award - the Commission's highest honor. Before joining the SEC, Ms. Mitchell was at Wolf, Block, Schorr & Solis-Cohen in Philadelphia, where she specialized in corporate and securities law. She earned her J.D. from Columbia Law School and B.A. from Oberlin College.

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