# David M. Becker > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/David_M._Becker > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/David_M._Becker.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_M._Becker > Source revision: 1357285942 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **David M. Becker** was an American lawyer and a partner of [Cleary Gottlieb](/source/Cleary_Gottlieb). He was twice [General Counsel](/source/General_Counsel) and Senior Policy Director of the [United States](/source/United_States) [Securities and Exchange Commission](/source/Securities_and_Exchange_Commission) (SEC).[1] ## History Becker graduated from [Columbia College](/source/Columbia_College,_Columbia_University) (1968) and [Columbia University Law School](/source/Columbia_University_Law_School) (1973), where he was editor-in-chief of the *[Columbia Law Review](/source/Columbia_Law_Review)*.[2] He then was a law clerk for Judge [Harold Leventhal](/source/Harold_Leventhal_(judge)) of the [U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit](/source/U.S._Court_of_Appeals_for_the_District_of_Columbia_Circuit), then a year later, for Justice [Stanley Reed](/source/Stanley_Forman_Reed) of the [U.S. Supreme Court](/source/U.S._Supreme_Court).[2] He served from January 2000 to May 2002, after joining SEC staff as Deputy General Counsel in 1998, then, again, beginning in 2009,[1] after resigning as a partner of [Cleary Gottlieb](/source/Cleary_Gottlieb).[3] He resigned the second posting in 2011.[4] SEC Inspector General [H. David Kotz](/source/H._David_Kotz) discovered that, despite having a conflict of interest, Becker had worked on the [Madoff investment scandal](/source/Madoff_investment_scandal) investigation; specifically, the Becker family had received a $2 million inheritance previously invested in a Madoff account.[5] Kotz referred the matter to the [U.S. Justice Department](/source/U.S._Justice_Department)'s criminal division.[5] Becker indicated that he had notified seven senior SEC officials about the account, including the Chairman and the SEC's ethics officer, and none suggested that he recuse himself.[5] Becker stated: I have seen Inspector General Kotz do this before, make a big fuss... about sending reports to the Justice Department. Nothing has happened in any of them, and some of them ... from my time at the SEC were laughable.[6] The Justice Department declined to pursue the matter.[7][8] SEC chairwoman [Mary Schapiro](/source/Mary_Schapiro) then stated about the incident, "I wish that Mr. Becker had recused himself, absolutely."[3] On September 22, 2011, Becker testified before the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of the [House Committee](/source/United_States_congressional_committee) on Financial Services and the TARP, Financial Services and Bailouts of Public and Private Programs Subcommittee of the [House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform](/source/United_States_House_Committee_on_Oversight_and_Government_Reform) about his role in advising the SEC related to the bankruptcy of [Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities](/source/Bernard_Madoff).[9] In 2011, Becker rejoined Cleary Gottlieb as a partner.[3][10] ## See also - [List of law clerks of the Supreme Court of the United States (Seat 6)](/source/List_of_law_clerks_of_the_Supreme_Court_of_the_United_States_(Seat_6)) ## References 1. ["David M. Becker Named SEC General Counsel and Senior Policy Director"](https://www.sec.gov/news/press/2009/2009-20.htm). United States [Securities and Exchange Commission](/source/Securities_and_Exchange_Commission). Retrieved May 4, 2012. 1. ["Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP | Lawyers | David M. Becker"](https://web.archive.org/web/20130217090105/http://www.cgsh.com/dbecker/). Cgsh.com. Archived from [the original](http://www.cgsh.com/dbecker/) on February 17, 2013. Retrieved March 1, 2013. 1. David S. Hilzenrath (May 9, 2011). ["David Becker, former SEC official with Madoff problem, rejoins law firm"](https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/political-economy/post/david-becker-former-sec-official-with-madoff-problem-rejoins-law-firm/2011/05/09/AFJs5acG_blog.html). *Washington Post* 1. ["SEC General Counsel David Becker to Leave Commission"](https://www.sec.gov/news/press/2011/2011-34.htm). United States [Securities and Exchange Commission](/source/Securities_and_Exchange_Commission). Retrieved May 4, 2012. 1. Story, Louise & Morgenson, Gretchen (September 20, 2011). ["S.E.C. Hid Its Lawyer's Madoff Ties"](https://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/business/sec-refers-ex-counsels-actions-on-madoff-to-justice-dept.html?pagewanted=all). *The New York Times* 1. Sarah N. Lynch, Carol Bishopric, and Tim Dobbyn (September 21, 2011). ["Some lawmakers doubt ex-SEC lawyer broke the law"](https://www.reuters.com/article/sec-becker-idUSS1E78L2AM20110923). Reuters. Retrieved February 23, 2013. 1. Frankel, Alison. ["Former SEC GC Becker gives $556k gift to Madoff investors"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120305131147/http://blogs.reuters.com/alison-frankel/2012/02/29/former-sec-gc-becker-gives-556k-gift-to-madoff-investors/). Reuters. Archived from [the original](http://blogs.reuters.com/alison-frankel/2012/02/29/former-sec-gc-becker-gives-556k-gift-to-madoff-investors/) on March 5, 2012. Retrieved February 18, 2013. 1. Schmidt, Robert (November 3, 2011). ["Justice Dept. Won't Probe Ex-SEC Official Becker, Lawyer Says"](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-03/justice-dept-won-t-probe-ex-sec-official-becker-lawyer-says.html). Bloomberg. Retrieved February 18, 2013. 1. ["Testimony of David M. Becker"](http://financialservices.house.gov/UploadedFiles/092211becker.pdf). [United States House of Representatives](/source/United_States_House_of_Representatives). Retrieved May 4, 2012. 1. ["David M. Becker", ClearyGottlieb.com. Retrieved July 27, 2019.](https://www.clearygottlieb.com/professionals/david-m-becker) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [David M. Becker](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_M._Becker) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_M._Becker?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.