James Burns, deputy director of trading and markets at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), will leave the agency in October.
Since 2012, Burns has overseen core regulatory functions within the division including market supervision, analytics and research, derivatives policy and trading practices.
“During his tenure at the commission, [Burns] provided valuable leadership on important rulemaking and policy initiatives. His unwavering commitment to the investing public and his commitment to promoting strong capital markets served the agency well,” said chair Mary Jo White.
Prior to joining the division, Burns served under chairman Mary Schapiro as the agency’s deputy chief of staff, where he advised on the development and execution of the SEC’s rulemaking and policy agenda.
He joined Schapiro’s staff as counsel in 2010, having first come to the SEC as counsel to commissioner Kathleen Casey in 2008.
In these previous capacities, he worked on investment management and trading and markets regulatory and enforcement matters arising from the financial crisis.
Before joining the SEC, Burns was a securities lawyer in private practice, focusing on investment management regulatory and enforcement matters. He previously served as a clerk on the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
Stephen Luparello, director of trading and markets at the SEC, commented: “Burns played an instrumental role in [the division’s] work on numerous rulemakings, including adoption of the Volcker Rule and other key provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act.”
“He also has led the division’s response to significant market events and the development of key equity and fixed income market analytical and policy initiatives.”
