WilmerHale today is pleased to announce the addition of Jason Burt, former Deputy Director of the Enforcement Division at the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), as partner in the Securities and Financial Services (SFS) Department and a member of the Securities Litigation and Enforcement Group. Based in the firm’s Denver office, Jason will leverage his extensive government experience to guide clients through bet-the-company matters involving securities compliance, investigations, and litigation, and provide strategic regulatory counsel.
“Our Securities and Financial Services Department is among the leading securities practices in the world, with extraordinary depth of talent, experience, and leadership,” said Anjan Sahni, WilmerHale’s managing partner. “Jason’s senior-level understanding of SEC enforcement will directly benefit clients facing complex regulatory and enforcement matters.”
Jason is the latest addition to WilmerHale’s peerless bench of former senior leaders from the SEC, FINRA, CFTC, and other regulatory bodies, alongside distinguished securities litigators, enforcement defense counsel, and regulatory and compliance practitioners. At WilmerHale, Jason will advise corporate issuers, investment advisers, investment companies, and broker-dealers on sensitive matters involving disclosure, complex products and transactions, crypto assets, cybersecurity, and market structure.
Jason leaves the SEC as one of its longest-tenured senior officers after more than two decades of service. In his most recent role, he was the first Deputy Director of Enforcement charged with overseeing all the Specialized Units in the Division, including the Asset Management Unit, the Complex Financial Instruments Unit, the Cyber and Emerging Technologies Unit, the Market Abuse Unit, and the Public Finance Abuse Unit. He also supervised the Office of the Whistleblower and the SEC’s newly created Cross-Border Task Force.
Jason previously served as Regional Director of the SEC’s Denver Office, where he oversaw both the Enforcement and Examination programs. Among his many roles at the Commission, he is the only person to serve as an Assistant Director in the Asset Management Unit and the Market Abuse Unit, during which time he oversaw the SEC’s highest‑profile matters involving hack-to-trade and other insider trading schemes, sophisticated trading and market manipulation schemes, cybersecurity and market access control failures, disclosure failures and breaches of fiduciary duties by investment advisers, and more.
“Jason’s expertise related to insider trading, market manipulation, and market structure aligns directly with the priorities of regulators today,” said Susan Schroeder, chair of WilmerHale’s Securities and Financial Services Department. “He will be an incredible asset to our clients, bringing unique firsthand expertise in navigating existing and evolving regulatory regimes, and is versed in advising at every stage of SEC inquiries and proceedings.”
“WilmerHale’s bench of top advisers in securities is truly unmatched in private practice. The firm has earned its strong reputation in handling high-stakes matters at a time when enforcement priorities are rapidly evolving,” said Jason. “Having been deeply involved in some of the SEC’s most complex and highest-priority matters, I look forward to bringing my experience and perspective to clients navigating risk, investigations, and an increasingly dynamic market environment.”
Jason earned his Bachelor of Business Administration, magna cum laude, from James Madison University and his law degree from University of North Carolina School of Law.