SEC Names C. Dabney O’Riordan and Alka Patel as Associate Regional Directors in Los Angeles Office

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that C. Dabney O’Riordan and Alka Patel have been named Associate Directors for Enforcement in the agency’s Los Angeles Regional Office.

Ms. O’Riordan began working in the Los Angeles office in 2005 as a staff attorney, served as counsel to the Director of the Division of Enforcement, and became an Assistant Director in 2012.  She has been a member of the Division of Enforcement’s Asset Management Unit since its inception in 2010.  Ms. O’Riordan has investigated and litigated a number of significant securities law violations, many of which were firsts for the agency:  the first action charging a private equity fund manager for misallocating expenses between the manager and the private funds, the first action regarding the unregistered offer and sale of binary options, and the first action against a CEO solely seeking return of incentive based compensation under Section 304 of Sarbanes-Oxley.  In addition, Ms. O’Riordan has led significant investigations resulting in charges against gatekeepers, including an audit firm and their partners for failures in the audits of China-based companies.

Ms. Patel began working in the Los Angeles office in 2001 as a staff attorney and became an Assistant Director in 2009.  She has served as a member of the Division of Enforcement’s Foreign Corrupt Practices Act since its inception in 2010.  Ms. Patel has investigated and litigated a broad spectrum of significant securities laws matters.  Some examples include an action against a California based company for making improper payments disguised as commissions to foreign agents, charges against three former sales managers with insider trading ahead of a major acquisition, an action against a medical imaging company and its CEO for disclosure violations, and an action against three San Diego stock promoters and a Canadian citizen in a market manipulation scheme.

In their new roles, they will oversee the Los Angeles office’s enforcement’s efforts in southern California, Arizona, Nevada, and Hawaii.

“Alka and Dabney have made tremendous contributions to the Los Angeles Regional Office and the Division of Enforcement on numerous challenging and significant matters,” said Andrew J. Ceresney, Director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement.  “I am confident they will lead the enforcement program in Los Angeles to continued success.”

“Alka and Dabney are extremely talented lawyers who are widely respected throughout the Los Angeles Regional Office for their fairness, excellent judgment, tenacity, and strong leadership, said Michele Wein Layne, Director of the Los Angeles Regional Office.  “I am delighted that they will bring their impressive skills and experience in managing our office’s outstanding enforcement group.”

Ms. O’Riordan said, “I am looking forward to continuing to work with the committed and talented enforcement staff in the Los Angeles Regional Office.”

Ms. Patel said, “I am honored to have this opportunity to serve as Associate Director.  Over the years, I have worked closely with the dedicated enforcement staff in the Los Angeles office and I am looking forward to our continued collaborative efforts in enforcing the federal securities laws.”

Before joining the SEC, Ms. O’Riordan worked as a litigation associate for over four years at Munger, Tolles & Olson in Los Angeles and served as a law clerk to the Honorable David R. Thompson on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.  Ms. O’Riordan received her law degree from UCLA School of Law where she was Order of the Coif and her undergraduate degree with honors from Wellesley College.

Before joining the SEC, Ms. Patel worked as a litigation and transactional associate in Irvine, Calif., and St. Louis and as an auditor at two international accounting firms.  Ms. Patel received her law degree from Southwestern University School of Law, her master’s degree in business taxation from the University of Southern California, and her undergraduate degree from California State University, Northridge.