FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2013-257
Washington D.C., Dec. 9, 2013 — The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that it has named Sebastian Gomez Abero as chief of the Office of Small Business Policy. The appointment is effective immediately.
Mr. Gomez previously was a special counsel in the Office of Chief Counsel of the SEC´s Division of Corporation Finance, where he played a key role in drafting proposed rules to implement the crowdfunding provisions of the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act. He succeeds Gerald J. Laporte, who retired in July after heading the Office of Small Business Policy for more than a decade.
"I am very pleased that Sebastian Gomez will serve as the chief of the Office of Small Business Policy in our division," said Keith Higgins, Director of the Division of Corporation Finance. "This is an exciting time for the office as it promotes capital formation for small businesses while protecting investors. Sebastian´s energy and leadership will serve us well as we further the Commission´s mission."
The SEC´s Office of Small Business Policy assists companies seeking to raise capital through exempt or smaller registered offerings, and participates in and reviews SEC rulemaking and other actions that may affect small businesses. The office coordinates the annual SEC Government-Business Forum on Small Business Capital Formation, provides support to the SEC Advisory Committee on Small and Emerging Companies, and acts as the division´s liaison to the Small Business Administration and to state securities regulators on corporate finance issues.
"I am honored and excited for the opportunity to lead our Office of Small Business Policy. I look forward to working with the dedicated and talented professionals in the office as we further the Commission´s policies that impact small businesses and their investors," Mr. Gomez said.
Mr. Gomez joined the SEC in August 2007 as a staff attorney in the division´s Office of Health Care and Insurance and served as a special counsel in the division´s Office of Financial Services from April 2011 to April 2012. He also assisted with the SEC´s Life Settlements Task Force and with a team that provided technical assistance on derivatives as Congress drafted the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.
Before coming to the SEC, Mr. Gomez was an attorney at the law firm of Hogan & Hartson LLP. He holds a B.S. in computer science from Bridgewater College and received his law degree from Northwestern University Law School.
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