LUIS MEJIA NAMED CHIEF LITIGATION COUNSEL OF SEC'S DIVISION OF ENFORCEMENT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2005-147

Washington, D.C., Oct. 12, 2005 - Securities and Exchange Commission Enforcement Division Director Linda Chatman Thomsen today named Luis R. Mejia Chief Litigation Counsel to supervise the Enforcement Division's nationwide litigation program. Mejia succeeds David L. Kornblau, who left the Commission in August.

Thomsen said, "I am very pleased that Lou will lead our litigation efforts. He is an exceptionally talented trial lawyer and a superb legal tactician. The Commission will benefit greatly from his trial experience, broad knowledge of the law and excellent judgment. The skills he has demonstrated during his tenure at the Commission inspire great confidence in his ability to lead the Enforcement Division's trial attorneys."

Mejia joined the Commission in November 1999 as Assistant Chief Litigation Counsel. He is presently the lead litigation counsel in the Commission's ongoing Enron investigation. To date, the Commission's Enron team has recovered over $400 million for investors injured by the massive fraud at Enron.

Mejia has been involved in a number of other high profile investigations and settlements at the Commission including the AOL Time Warner accounting fraud case, the Datek Securities improper proprietary trading case, as well as the Global Research Analyst settlement, which involved alleged conflicts of interest between the research and investment banking departments at major financial services firms.

In addition, Mejia successfully prosecuted the Commission's insider trading action against Scott K. Ginsburg, the former Chairman and CEO of Evergreen Media, whose tips to family members enabled them to make $1.8 million in illegal profits, and an action against professional sports agent William H. "Tank" Black, who defrauded his athlete-clients out of approximately $12 million.

Before joining the Commission, Mejia was in private practice as a litigation partner in the law firm of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Field in Washington D.C. Mejia, 45, earned his undergraduate degree from San Diego State University and his law degree from George Washington University.

http://www.sec.gov/news/press/2005-147.htm