SEC Enforcement Head Woodcock Executes Atkins’ Back to Basics Agenda

The Securities and Exchange Commission ’s new director of the Division of Enforcement , David Woodcock , said Wednesday (May 13) that the agency’s focus is and will remain on protecting investors and safeguarding markets by stopping all forms of fraud and manipulation. In a speech delivered at the MFA Legal & Compliance 2026 conference, Woodcock said those kinds of cases are the ones the Division was formed to fight, and they are the ones it will pursue during his tenure.