FINRA Names Bennett Enforcement Chief

FINRA selected J. Bradley Bennett as its new enforcement chief. Bennett, a partner at the law firm Baker Botts in Washington, will start the job on Jan. 1, taking over from James Shorris, who has been acting chief of enforcement since Susan Merrill left the organization in March.

Bennett will be responsible for the management of approximately 300 enforcement staff in 17 offices across the United States and report to FINRA Vice Chairman Stephen Luparello. "Brad will bring extensive knowledge and experience in dealing with violations of securities rules to FINRA at this critical time," said Richard Ketchum, Chairman and CEO of FINRA. "It is imperative that FINRA aggressively deal with wrongdoing in the industry to help rebuild investor trust and confidence in the markets."

Bennett has been at Baker Botts since 2001, where he specializes in financial and securities law violations. Previously, he was an attorney at Miller, Cassidy, Larocca & Lewin, and before that, he was a senior attorney in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s enforcement division.

"Brad will be a forceful advocate for investors, especially in dealing with those who would seek to violate the rules," Luparello said in the press release.