Jay Clayton was nominated to chair the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on January 20, 2017 by President Donald Trump and sworn in on May 4, 2017, following confirmation by the U.S. Senate on May 2, 2017.
Prior to joining the Commission, Mr. Clayton was a partner at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, where for over 20 years he advised public and private companies on a wide range of matters, including securities offerings, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, and regulatory and enforcement proceedings. His experience includes counseling companies in various industries and advising market participants on capital raising and trading matters in the United States and abroad, including while resident in Europe for five years.
Mr. Clayton has authored publications on securities law, cybersecurity, and other regulatory issues. From 2009 to 2017, he was an Adjunct Professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, teaching “M&A Through the Business Cycle” each spring semester as well as guest lecturing in other classes and at other institutions.
Prior to joining Sullivan & Cromwell, Mr. Clayton served as a law clerk for the Honorable Marvin Katz of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. A member of the New York and Washington, D.C. bars, Mr. Clayton studied and received degrees in engineering, economics, and law. He earned a B.S. in Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, where he was the recipient of the Thouron Award for post-graduate study in the United Kingdom, enabling him to earn a B.A. and M.A. in Economics from the University of Cambridge. Mr. Clayton received a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.