On 10 September 2025, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (US SEC) announced that James J. Moloney will be the next Director of the Division of Corporation Finance, effective October 2025. Mr. Moloney returns to the agency after 25 years at Gibson Dunn & Cutcher, where he co-chaired the securities regulation and corporate governance practice. His appointment signals the SEC’s intention to modernise corporate disclosure rules and streamline governance frameworks. Cicely LaMothe, who has been serving as Acting Director, will return to her role as Deputy Director. SEC Chairman Paul S. Atkins praised Moloney’s experience in corporate governance and disclosure, underscoring his ability to balance innovation and capital formation with investor protection. The appointment marks a pivotal leadership transition at a time when the Division is central to advancing rule updates for mergers, acquisitions, proxy matters, and corporate reporting.
James J. Moloney began his career at the US SEC, serving from 1994 to 2000 as an attorney-advisor and later special counsel in the Office of Mergers & Acquisitions within the Division of Corporation Finance, where he was the principal author of the proposing and adopting releases for Regulation M-A, the rule set governing mergers, acquisitions, tender offers, and proxy solicitations. After leaving the US SEC, he spent 25 years at Gibson Dunn & Cutcher, rising from corporate associate to equity partner and serving as co-chair of the firm’s securities regulation and corporate governance practice, advising a wide range of clients on disclosure obligations, governance issues, mergers and acquisitions, proxy contests, tender offers, and going-private transactions. He holds an LL.M. in Securities Regulation with distinction from Georgetown University Law Center, a J.D. cum laude from Pepperdine University, where he was an editor of the Pepperdine Law Review, and a B.S. in Business Administration from Boston University.
Mr. Moloney’s appointment comes as the Division of Corporation Finance is tasked with updating disclosure standards, reviewing corporate reporting burdens, and tailoring rules for emerging governance issues. With a track record spanning regulatory drafting and private practice, he is positioned to guide the Division through both modernisation of disclosure regimes and enhanced investor transparency.
