The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that Lorraine B. Echavarria has been promoted to lead the Los Angeles Regional Office’s enforcement program as an Associate Regional Director.

Ms. Echavarria, who joined the SEC staff in 2000, has served as an Assistant Regional Director for more than five years and has served in the Enforcement Division’s national Municipal Securities and Public Pension Specialized Unit for more than two years. Ms. Echavarria has worked on significant cases throughout her career at the SEC, including the SEC’s first-ever Sarbanes-Oxley Act “clawback” case against an individual required to return bonuses and stock profits while not personally charged for the company’s misconduct.

“Lori has great enthusiasm and passion for the work of protecting investors and the financial markets, which has been instrumental in leading her teams to bring challenging cases,” said Michele Wein Layne, Director of the SEC’s Los Angeles Regional Office. “Her demonstrated securities experience combined with her strong leadership skills make her ideally suited to accomplish our shared goal of having a premier enforcement program in our region.”

Ms. Echavarria said, “I am deeply honored by this appointment. For 12 years, I have had the privilege to work with the dedicated and talented Los Angeles staff, and I look forward to leading the enforcement program to continued success in protecting the investing public.”

Ms. Echavarria fills the Associate Regional Director position vacated by Ms. Layne when she became the Director of the Los Angeles office.

Prior to joining the SEC staff, Ms. Echavarria practiced at O’Melveny & Myers LLP in Los Angeles and Greenberg Glusker in Los Angeles. She earned her law degree cum laude from NYU Law School, and her undergraduate degree with highest honors from the University of California at Santa Barbara.