Dallas Litigation partner Barrett Howell spoke with The Texas Lawbook on the prestigious Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC's) regional director vacancy in Fort Worth and the challenges in getting it filled. Notably, the SEC's enforcement budget has been slashed, resulting in significant staffing issues. Despite that issue, Barrett says that the position is "truly a career-changing move" for some white-collar criminal defense attorneys and "can advance a career by 12 or 15 years." He added, "We need someone [for that position] who will be as aggressive in determining whether there is a case as much as aggressive in bringing a case. SEC cases need to be opened and closed more quickly because an SEC investigation causes a major cloud of uncertainty over a company." ("Few Lawyers Seek Top SEC Enforcement Job in Texas," March 21, 2019)
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