The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) today announced that Matthew Martens has been appointed chief litigation counsel of the Division of Enforcement, where he will oversee the litigation program and coordinate the activities of trial attorneys across the enforcement program in the 11 regional offices. The former chief litigator, Luis Mejia, left the agency for the private sector. Martens spent the last seven years working in the US Attorney General’s office in North Carolina, mainly as the corporate & securities fraud coordinator. Martens prosecuted securities fraud and also investigated claims involving insider trading, accounting fraud, Ponzi schemes, naked short selling and more. In that time, Martens tried 14 jury trials involving charges of securities fraud, mortgage fraud, money laundering, tax fraud and other felonies. “Adding Matt’s considerable talent to the skill and dedication of the existing SEC trial attorneys will ensure that investor interests are pursued vigorously in litigation and at trial,” said Robert Khuzami, the director of the SEC Division of Enforcement. Prior to working for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Martens was chief of staff to assistant AG Michael Chertoff in the Criminal Division at the US Department of Justice. Earlier, he was an associate at Latham & Watkins. Write to Jacob Gaffney.