James Brigagliano Named Associate Director for Trading Practices and Processing in the SEC's Division of Market Regulation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2007-5

Washington, D.C., Jan. 17, 2007 - The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced the appointment of James A. Brigagliano as Associate Director for Trading Practices and Processing in the Commission's Division of Market Regulation. In this position, Mr. Brigagliano will oversee the Division's regulatory program in trading practices, clearance and settlement, and the enforcement liaison function.

Currently serving as Acting Associate Director, Mr. Brigagliano has been the Assistant Director for the Office of Trading Practices since 1998 and has led the implementation of significant reforms that have benefited investors and the capital markets, including rules governing analyst conflicts of interest and regulations to discourage manipulative conduct. Mr. Brigagliano has also worked to promote compliance and increase regulatory efficiency, including, where appropriate, issuance of letters providing relief for entire classes of financial products and market transactions.

SEC Director of Market Regulation Erik Sirri commented, "Jamie is a proven manager as well as an energetic and pragmatic lawyer. I look forward to his taking a leadership role in modernizing and administering rules governing trading practices and clearance and settlement."

During his tenure in the Division, Mr. Brigagliano has administered rules addressing market manipulation, underwriting, research, soft dollars, issuer repurchases, over-the-counter quotations, short sales, and tender offers. In addition to leading staff efforts on numerous investor protection rulemakings, including Regulation AC (Analyst Certification) and self regulatory organization rules governing analysts conflicts of interest, Mr. Brigagliano also led the drafting and implementation of Regulation SHO, which implemented a comprehensive revision to the scheme of short sale regulation; an emergency rulemaking project following September 11 that revised Rule 10b-18 temporarily to assist issuers in repurchasing their securities following the reopening of the markets; and proposed amendments to Regulation M to address manipulative conduct during the bubble in technology initial public offerings.

Mr. Brigagliano joined the Division of Market Regulation in 1998. Prior to that he was Assistant General Counsel for Litigation and Administrative Practice in the Commission's Office of the General Counsel. In that capacity, Mr. Brigagliano represented the Commission in a wide range of matters in federal district and appellate courts. Mr. Brigagliano's achievements have earned him numerous Commission awards.

He came to the Commission in 1986 after three years in private practice. Mr. Brigagliano received his law degree from Georgetown and undergraduate degree from Amherst College.

http://www.sec.gov/news/press/2007/2007-5.htm