Top SEC attorney in Atlanta to step down

This June 19, 2015 photo shows the seal of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at SEC headquarters, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

This June 19, 2015 photo shows the seal of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at SEC headquarters, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Aaron Lipson, a top attorney at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in Atlanta, is stepping down after 14 years, the agency said Monday.

Lipson served most recently as associate regional director for enforcement in Atlanta, and oversaw more than 60 attorneys, accountants and other finance professionals in investigating securities violations.

“Aaron is a dedicated public servant whose distinguished record of cases has left an indelible mark on the SEC and its Atlanta office,” Stephanie Avakian, co-director of the SEC’s Enforcement Division, said in a news release. “Time and time again, he has demonstrated his commitment to protecting investors and the fair and orderly function of our markets.”

Lipson joined the SEC as a staff lawyer in 2004, rising through the ranks to associate regional director in 2016. His bio boasts several high-profile enforcement cases, including civil fraud charges against 11 former bank officers and directors of a large Alabama bank and civil charges involving a massive fraud at the failed mortgage lending powerhouse Taylor, Been & Whitaker.

Lipson plans to leave the agency before the end of the year. It did not disclose future plans.

In a statement, Lipson said he was “grateful to my colleagues in Atlanta for their kindness and steadfast commitment to the agency’s mission.”

“It has been a true privilege to spend the past almost 15 years in the service of U.S. investors,” he said.