The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced Monday that Linda Chatman Thomsen, Director of the Division of Enforcement, plans to return to the private sector.

During Thomsen’s, the SEC brought more than 2,000 enforcement actions and returned billions of dollars to harmed investors.

Among the many enforcement actions led by Thomsen were the Enron investigation and the resulting actions against a number of large financial institutions, and the auction rate securities market settlements that will return more than US$50 billion in liquidity to tens of thousands of investors.

“Linda’s achievements have been nothing short of extraordinary, even heroic, in an era of unprecedented challenges in our securities markets,” said SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro, in a release. “Linda has distinguished herself in public service through her keen intellect, profound understanding of our securities laws, and relentless pursuit of wrongdoers.”

Thomsen joined the SEC staff as an Assistant Chief Litigation Counsel in 1995. She served as an Assistant Director, an Associate Director, and Deputy Director of the Division of Enforcement before former Chairman William Donaldson appointed her Director in 2005.

Before joining the commission’s staff, she was in private practice at the law firm of Davis Polk & Wardwell and served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Maryland. Thomsen earned her A.B. in Government from Smith College and received her J.D. from Harvard Law School.

IE