SEC Names Marshall Gandy Head of Examinations at SEC Fort Worth Region

By Brooks Powell, Staff Writer
brooks.powell@texaslawbook.net

March 2, 2012 – Marshall Gandy, a former judge and prosecutor, is the new head of the examinations program at the Securities and Exchange Commission regional office in Ft. Worth, the commission announced Friday.

Gandy is leaving his post as the senior regional counsel of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) in Dallas.

Gandy’s departure from FINRA is a surprise, but appears to be a boon for the SEC, said Jeff Ansley of Curran Tomko Tarski in Dallas, who worked with Gandy when they served together as enforcement attorneys at the SEC.

“This is FINRA’s loss and the SEC’s gain. He is that competent and that fair.” Ansley said. “I can’t over emphasize the importance of fairness as a regulator.”

As associate regional director for examinations, Gandy will keep tabs on broker-dealers, investment companies and advisers, and transfer agents in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. He will lead a staff of approximately 40 accountants, examiners, attorneys and support personnel.

“He’s a great attorney with outstanding judgment,” said Steve Korotash, a former associate director of the SEC’s enforcement division, now a partner with K&L Gates in Dallas. “Most significantly, he will prove to be a valued mentor to his staff and a trusted advisor to the director.”

The appointment is the first for SEC regional director David Woodcock, who assumed his role in August 2011.

“Marshall has a deep commitment to public service and the SEC’s core mission,” said Woodcock. “His experience and leadership make him well-suited for our mission to prevent fraud, promote compliance, monitor risk, and inform policy.”

Mr. Gandy returns to the SEC after his intermediate appointment at FINRA, a post he assumed in 2008. He previously served as a trial counsel and enforcement attorney at the SEC.

Gandy was presiding judge in a Dallas County Criminal Court from 1989 until 1998 and served as assistant district attorney in Dallas County under Henry Wade and John Vance.

Gandy is a 1979 graduate of the Dedman School of Law at Southern Methodist University. He received his bachelor’s degree from Sam Houston State University.