SEC Says L.A. Lawyer to Leave

Sandra J. Harris, a top enforcement lawyer at the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Los Angeles office since 1994, is leaving at the end of September to pursue a career in the private sector, the agency said Monday.

Harris, 47, said she hadn’t decided yet where she would land, but was ready to move on after 18 years at the SEC.

“After a good deal of deliberation and thought, I decided it was time to make a change and take on a new challenge,” said Harris, an Orange County native who has a bachelor’s degree from Cal State Northridge and a law degree from USC.

Harris, who joined the SEC in 1987 and has been head or co-head of enforcement for the regional office since 1994, directed several key enforcement actions over the years, including fraud suits against Homestore.com Inc., Gemstar-TV Guide International Inc. and brokerage firm J.B. Oxford Holdings Inc.

She also led investigations of improper “market timing” or “late trading” at mutual funds, including a settled lawsuit against the Pimco stock funds and a lawsuit against Daniel Calugar, the investor based in Los Angeles and Las Vegas who allegedly reaped $175 million in profits from improper fund trades.

“Sandy has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to protecting the rights of investors,” SEC enforcement director Linda Chatman Thomsen said in a statement.