Christopher Cox

Christopher Cox is an American politician, lawyer, and former chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). He served as the 28th chairman of the SEC from 2005 to 2009, appointed by President George W. Bush and unanimously confirmed by the Senate. Cox's career spans various roles in government, law, and academia. He resigned as SEC chairman after President Barack Obama nominated Mary Schapiro to head the agency. 
== Background ==
Born on October 16, 1952, in St. Paul, Minnesota, Cox has had a career in public service and the private sector. Before his appointment as SEC chairman, he served 17 years as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing California's Orange County from 1988 to 2005. For 10 of those 17 years, he served in the Majority Leadership of the House. During his tenure in Congress, Cox held several leadership positions, including chairman of the House Policy Committee and chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security.
In addition, Cox served in a leadership capacity as a senior member of every committee with jurisdiction over investor protection and U.S. capital markets. Among significant laws he authored were the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act, which protects investors from fraudulent lawsuits, and the Internet Tax Freedom Act, which protects Internet users from multiple and discriminatory taxation. His legislative efforts to eliminate the double tax on shareholder dividends — the subject of his thesis while at Harvard University in 1977 — led to the enactment in May 2003 of legislation that cut the double tax by more than half. 
Cox's career also includes time as a White House counsel to President Ronald Reagan from 1986 to 1988, where he advised on various matters including the nomination of three U.S. Supreme Court Justices and the 1987 stock market crash.
From 1978 to 1986, he specialized in venture capital and corporate finance with the international law firm of Latham & Watkins. He took a leave of absence from the firm for a year to teach federal income tax at Harvard Business School. From 1977-1978, he was law clerk to U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Herbert Choy.
=== SEC Chairmanship ===
Cox was appointed by President Bush in June 2005 after the surprise resignation of William Donaldson, whom Bush had installed to help restore confidence in the stock market after a wave of corporate scandals in 2002. Cox was unanimously confirmed by the Senate a month later, and sworn in as the 28th chairman of the SEC on August 3, 2005. He was one of five SEC commissioners. 
As chairman of the SEC from 2005 to 2009, Cox led several significant initiatives:
* Enforcing securities laws as the agency's top priority, bringing groundbreaking cases against various market abuses.
* Leading international efforts to integrate U.S. and overseas regulation in global capital markets.
* Championing the transformation of the SEC's disclosure system to utilize interactive data technology.
* Focusing on the needs of individual investors, including the provision of important investor information in plain English.
During his tenure, Cox also led the SEC's expansion of international enforcement coordination and proposed a roadmap for convergence of U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and International Financial Reporting Standards.
=== Post-SEC Career ===
After leaving the SEC, Cox returned to the private sector. He joined the international law firm Bingham McCutchen LLP as a partner and became president of Bingham Consulting LLC. Cox has also maintained ties with academia, frequently speaking at university events and participating in corporate governance summits.
== Education ==
Cox completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Southern California, earning a B.A. in English and political science in 1973. He graduated magna cum laude after completing an accelerated three-year course.
In 1977, Cox simultaneously received an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a J.D. from Harvard Law School, where he served as an editor of the Harvard Law Review.
== References ==	
Category:Former SEC Chairmen
Category:Securities and Exchange Commission
Category:Securities and Exchange Commission - Former Employees
Category:Former Government Officials
Category:Latham & Watkins
Category:Latham & Watkins - Former Employees
Category:Regulators
Category:Former Regulators
Category:Regulatory Officials
Category:Former Congressmen
Category:Lawyers
Category:U.S. House of Representatives
Category:U.S. House of Representatives - Former Members=
Category:Bingham McCutchen
Category:Bingham McCutchen - Former Employees
Category:Harvard Business School
Category:Harvard Business School - Former Employees