The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has officially announced that Paul S. Atkins was sworn in today as the agency’s 34th Chairman, following his confirmation by the U.S. Senate on April 9.
Atkins was nominated by President Donald J. Trump on January 20 and secured confirmation in a 52-44 vote, largely split along party lines.
In the SEC’s official statement, Chairman Atkins said he was honoured by the trust placed in him by both the President and the Senate.
“As I return to the SEC, I am pleased to join with my fellow Commissioners and the agency’s dedicated professionals to advance its mission to facilitate capital formation, maintain fair, orderly, and efficient markets, and protect investors,”
Atkins stated.
Before rejoining the SEC, Atkins served as the Chief Executive Officer of Patomak Global Partners, a firm he founded in 2009 that specializes in regulatory strategy and risk management. He has been a vocal proponent of responsible innovation in the financial sector and was active in shaping best practices for the digital asset industry.
The announcement also highlighted Atkins’ previous tenure as SEC Commissioner from 2002 to 2008, under President George W. Bush, where he pushed for regulatory transparency and emphasized economic analysis in rulemaking. During that period, he represented the agency in high-level financial policy discussions, including at the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets and the U.S.-EU Transatlantic Economic Council.
Atkins has held senior roles under former SEC Chairs Richard C. Breeden and Arthur Levitt, and he practiced corporate law in New York and Paris, focusing on securities, M&A, and cross-border transactions. He earned his J.D. from Vanderbilt University School of Law and his A.B. from Wofford College, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa. A member of the New York and Florida bars, Atkins’ recent appointment comes amid a growing interest in modernizing financial regulation and navigating the evolving capital markets landscape, including digital assets.
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