Nekia Hackworth Jones Named Director of Atlanta Regional Office

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that Nekia Hackworth Jones has been named Director of the Atlanta Regional Office. She will join the SEC next month.

A former federal prosecutor, Ms. Jones comes to the SEC from her role as litigation partner at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP in Atlanta, specializing in government investigations, internal investigations, and white collar criminal defense. 

As Director of the Atlanta Regional Office, Ms. Jones will lead a staff of more than 100 enforcement attorneys, accountants, investigators, and compliance examiners involved in the investigation and prosecution of enforcement actions and the performance of compliance inspections in the Atlanta region, which covers Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama.

“I am pleased that Nekia is joining our team of exceptional Regional Directors,” said SEC Chairman Jay Clayton. “Nekia comes to the SEC with a proven track record as a dedicated public servant, a first-rate lawyer, and an outstanding leader. I have no doubt she and the talented team in Atlanta will continue to achieve significant results on behalf of investors."

“Nekia’s experience leading complex investigations and managing major government initiatives will be invaluable in her new role,” said Stephanie Avakian, Director of the SEC's Division of Enforcement. “I am happy to welcome her to the SEC and look forward to the continued successes of the Atlanta Regional Office with her at the helm.”

“Nekia’s demonstrated leadership will serve her and the outstanding Atlanta-based examinations team well,” said Pete Driscoll, Director of the SEC’s Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations. “Her extensive background in identifying and prosecuting fraud matters coupled with her deep understanding of business will be a tremendous asset to our examination program.”

Ms. Jones added, “It is a privilege and honor to return to public service and to join the SEC’s Atlanta Regional Office. As a federal prosecutor, I saw firsthand the exceptional work of the SEC’s enforcement and examinations professionals and their tireless commitment to protecting investors. I look forward to working alongside these dedicated and accomplished teams to uphold the SEC’s mission.”

Prior to joining Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP, Ms. Jones spent nearly a decade in government service. Ms. Jones has worked as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, where she investigated and prosecuted complex fraud cases, including securities and investment fraud, mortgage fraud, tax fraud, health care fraud, and public corruption. Ms. Jones also served in the Department of Justice’s Office of the Deputy Attorney General in Washington, D.C., first as a Senior Counsel to the Deputy Attorney General and then as Associate Deputy Attorney General and Executive Director of the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. In the latter role, Ms. Jones led an interagency task force charged with facilitating coordination in identifying financial fraud trends, driving enforcement initiatives, and setting priorities for fraud prosecutors and regulatory agencies. 

Prior to becoming a prosecutor in 2008, Ms. Jones worked as an associate at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP in New York and Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP in Atlanta. Ms. Jones was also a law clerk to a federal district judge in Brooklyn, New York. She earned her law degree at Harvard Law School and her MBA at Harvard Business School, and a Bachelor of Business Administration with distinction from Emory University.