Washington, D.C., May 4, 2011 — Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Mary Schapiro announced today that James R. Burns will become the agency’s Deputy Chief of Staff.
Mr. Burns has been a member of Chairman Schapiro’s staff since March 2010, working chiefly on issues involving the Division of Trading and Markets. From August 2008 to February 2010, Mr. Burns was a counsel to Commissioner Kathleen Casey, advising her on investment management issues.
“Jim has a deep understanding of the workings of the Commission and has played an instrumental role in the implementation of the financial reform legislation,” said Chairman Schapiro.
Mr. Burns said, “I am honored to have been asked by Chairman Schapiro to take on this new role and to help advance the SEC’s critical mission to protect investors.”
Mr. Burns replaces Kayla Gillan, who left the agency at the end of April.
Before coming to the SEC, Mr. Burns was a securities lawyer in private practice and focused on investment management and enforcement matters. He served as a law clerk to Judge William B. Traxler on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Mr. Burns previously worked on federal higher education policy at the American Council on Education, and also worked at Oriel College, Oxford University.
Mr. Burns received his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center. He holds master’s and doctorate degrees in philosophy from Oxford University, and graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College.
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