Scott A. Thompson Named Associate Regional Director in Philadelphia Office

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that Scott A. Thompson has been named Associate Regional Director for enforcement in the Philadelphia Regional Office.  Mr. Thompson succeeds Kelly L. Gibson, who became Regional Director of the SEC’s Philadelphia office in February 2020.

Mr. Thompson joined the SEC as a trial attorney in the Enforcement Division in 2007.  In 2013, he was promoted to Assistant Regional Director and supervised investigative staff attorneys, including those in the Market Abuse Unit.  In 2016, Mr. Thompson was awarded the SEC’s Arthur F. Matthews Award.  In his new role, Mr. Thompson will oversee the Philadelphia office’s enforcement efforts covering the Mid-Atlantic region.

During his career with the SEC, Mr. Thompson has litigated, tried, and supervised significant enforcement matters involving a variety of securities law violations, including cases against:

• A Pennsylvania investment adviser, Brenda Smith, for allegedly operating a $100 million investment fraud
• Defendants Jay Ledford and Kevin Merrill who allegedly engaged in a $345 million Ponzi-like scheme, raising money from over 230 investors across the United States
• Insider traders who allegedly traded on information obtained through Alcoholics Anonymous, a trusted friend, and one’s own company
• ITG Inc., where the Commission found that the firm misled dark pool subscribers and failed to establish adequate safeguards and procedures to protect subscribers’ confidential trading information
• BB&T Securities, which agreed to return more than $5 million to investors after settling charges that a firm it acquired misled clients about its directed brokerage practices

“Scott is widely respected throughout the Philadelphia Regional Office for his strong leadership, pragmatism, and collegiality,” said Steven Peikin, Co-Director of the SEC’s Enforcement Division.  “We are delighted that he will bring his impressive skills to managing Philadelphia’s outstanding enforcement group.”

“Scott’s excellent trial skills, investigative experience, and enthusiasm position him well for his new role,” said Stephanie Avakian, Co-Director of the SEC’s Enforcement Division.  “We look forward to working with Scott as a member of the Enforcement Division’s senior management team.”

Ms. Gibson, Director of the Philadelphia Regional Office, added, “During his time at the Commission, Scott has earned the trust of his colleagues through his deep knowledge of the securities laws, his ability to consistently exercise sound judgment, and his dedication to the office and to the SEC’s mission.  Scott will be an excellent leader of Philadelphia’s enforcement program.”

Mr. Thompson said, “I am honored to have the opportunity to lead the talented members of the enforcement program in the Philadelphia Regional Office.  I am eager to continue the group’s unwavering commitment to the protection of retail investors and the prosecution of wrongdoers.”

Prior to joining the SEC staff, Mr. Thompson was an associate at the law firm of Dechert LLP in Philadelphia and O’Melveny & Meyers LLP in Washington, D.C., and clerked for the Honorable Anthony Scirica of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.  Mr. Thompson earned his bachelor’s degree summa cum laude in international relations from Tufts University in 1997, and his law degree magna cum laude from the Duke University School of Law in 2000.