Enhancements to the Wells Process in SEC Enforcement
By Junaid Zubairi, Brooke Conner, & Paris Mayfield
Corporate Law Departments,
February 2026
Since assuming the top leadership role of the Securities and Exchange Commission in April 2025, Chairman Paul S. Atkins has focused on instituting various reforms and enhancements to the Commission’s policies and practices, with a focus on the role of the “Wells process” in enforcement matters, describing the Wells process as an extension of due process and fundamental constitutional rights.
Enhancements to the Wells Process in SEC Enforcement
By Junaid Zubairi, Brooke Conner, & Paris Mayfield
Business and Securities Law,
February 2026
Since assuming the top leadership role of the Securities and Exchange Commission in April 2025, Chairman Paul S. Atkins has focused on instituting various reforms and enhancements to the Commission’s policies and practices, with a focus on the role of the “Wells process” in enforcement matters, describing the Wells process as an extension of due process and fundamental constitutional rights.
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