SEC Appoints Sturm College of Law Professor to Oversight Board

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has appointed a University of Denver Sturm College of Law professor to a board responsible for protecting investors and the public interest.

J. Robert Brown Jr. will begin a five-year term on the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) after more than two decades teaching courses in corporate and securities law and specializing in corporate governance.

“Appointment to this distinguished body is a testament to Professor Brown’s considerable expertise in the fields of corporate governance and securities law,” said Dean Bruce Smith. “We are proud of his service to the nation and wish him well in his important new endeavor.”

Brown began his career at the University of Denver in 1988 as an associate professor of law. From 2000­­−04 he served as the law school’s associate dean for academic affairs. He is also faculty advisor to The Race to the Bottom — a blog that analyzes laws and regulatory measures and seeks to improve corporate governance process.

“The position [at PCAOB] was made possible by an active intellectual culture at the Sturm College of Law that has encouraged faculty to be actively involved in the development of their area of law,” Brown said. “I have truly benefited from this.”

Established by Congress in 2002, the PCAOB is a nonprofit that oversees the audits of public companies. Its mission is to promote informative, accurate and independent audit reports.

Brown previously has served as secretary and member of the SEC’s Investor Advisory Committee. He has also served as an advisor to the PCAOB, but said he is looking forward to taking the next step.

“The position on the PCAOB is exciting,” he said. “It will provide me with an opportunity to participate in setting policy in an area critical to the financial markets.”