Weil Gotshal hires in-house SEC counsel

Weil Gotshal & Manges' Washington office is bolstering its practice with the appointment of an in-house counsel from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Catherine Dixon, chief counsel of the division of corporate finance at the SEC, will join the US firm in June as a partner.

She will be part of Weil Gotshal's SEC enforcement practice and will specialise in federal securities law and corporate transactions.

During her employment at the regulatory body, Dixon was involved in drawing up the new M&A and cross-border rules in the US.

Stephen Dannhauser, Weil Gotshal executive partner, says: "At the SEC she was involved in all legal issues presented to the division and participated in all recent major initiatives."

It is not the first time the firm has looked to the SEC for new lawyers - counsel Harvey Goldschmid, former general counsel at the SEC, joined in February.