Fireside Chat with Deputy Director of the SEC Division of Enforcement, Paul Tzur (Presented by the Federal Bar Association’s Securities Law Section)

Paul H. Tzur, Deputy Director, Division of Enforcement | U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

Since January 2026, Paul Tzur has served as a Deputy Director for the Division of Enforcement at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. In that role, Mr. Tzur supervises the Enforcement Division in the SEC’s Atlanta, Chicago, and Miami Regional Offices. He also advises and coordinates on Commission priorities and operations throughout the Division.

• Education & Credentials

Mr. Tzur received his J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law and his B.S. from Duke University.

• Recognition & Leadership

Mr. Tzur also served in supervisory roles as a deputy chief in the General Crimes Section and later in the Narcotics and Money Laundering Section.

• Professional Involvement

Mr. Tzur has served as an Adjunct Professor at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law since January 2021. During his years at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, he taught new Assistant U.S. Attorneys at the Basic Criminal Trial Advocacy seminar held at the DOJ’s National Advocacy Center, served on the Office’s Hiring Committee interviewing AUSA applicants, and mentored junior prosecutors through the Office’s mentorship program.

• Experience

Prior to joining the Commission, Mr. Tzur was a partner for six years at the law firm of Blank Rome LLP, where he focused on white collar defense and complex commercial litigation. From 2011 through 2019, Mr. Tzur served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois, where he was a prosecutor in the Securities and Commodities Fraud Section. Following law school, Mr. Tzur clerked for the Honorable Steven M. Colloton of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.

Nekia S. Hackworth, Partner | Jones Day

Nekia Hackworth is a powerhouse litigator and strategic advisor with more than two decades of experience in government enforcement and private practice. A former SEC Deputy Director of Enforcement and seasoned federal prosecutor, she knows how the government investigates, charges, and tries complex financial crime — and deploys that knowledge to protect clients facing their most consequential challenges.

• Education & Credentials

Ms. Hackworth received her J.D. from Harvard University (J.D. 2004; M.B.A. 2004); Emory University (B.B.A. in Accounting cum laude 1999)

• Recognition & Leadership

At the SEC, Nekia led more than 250 Enforcement professionals across Washington, D.C., Atlanta, and Miami, supervising investigations into securities fraud, market manipulation, insider trading, and compliance failures. She also shaped national fraud enforcement policy as an Associate Deputy Attorney General and Executive Director of the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force in Washington, D.C.

• Professional Involvement

Nekia writes on securities and white collar enforcement developments. Her recent publications with Jones Day include key takeaways from the SEC’s revised Enforcement Manual, a fiscal 2025 year-end update on SEC enforcement in financial reporting and disclosure, commentary on the DOJ’s new corporate enforcement policy, the SEC and CFTC’s interpretation for crypto asset taxonomy, and the Supreme Court’s decision allowing the SEC to seek disgorgement of profits without proving investor loss.

• Experience

As a former Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, she prosecuted complex criminal cases spanning tax, securities, and health care fraud; public corruption; and violent crime, taking nearly a dozen to verdict and arguing three Eleventh Circuit appeals. At Jones Day, Nekia defends corporations and executives in government investigations and white collar matters. Earlier in her career, at another Am Law 100 firm, Nekia secured declinations for a dialysis clinic facing federal and state False Claims Act investigations, defended a tax preparer under investigation for tax and COVID-19 fraud, led sensitive internal investigations for public and private universities, and defended health care companies under federal investigation for False Claims Act and Anti-Kickback Statute violations.

Nekia counsels clients on compliance, regulatory risk, and crisis response — bringing prosecutorial instinct, regulatory authority, and trial-tested advocacy to bear when the stakes are highest.

SESSION 1 – Conducting Effective Internal Investigations | 12:00pm – 1:00pm

An effective internal investigation can help organizations identify legal risks, address misconduct, and demonstrate a strong culture of compliance before regulatory issues escalate. This session explores how legal and compliance teams should structure investigations, gather facts, preserve privileges, and implement corrective actions while managing business and reputational risks. Internal investigations play a critical role in helping organizations identify risks, address misconduct, and strengthen compliance before issues escalate. This session explores practical approaches to planning and conducting investigations while balancing legal obligations, business objectives, and organizational culture.

BREAK | 1:00pm – 1:10pm

SESSION 2 – Regulatory Readiness and Strengthening Corporate Compliance Programs | 1:10pm –2:10pm

Organizations must be prepared to respond effectively to regulatory inquiries while maintaining strong compliance programs that promote accountability and reduce organizational risk. This session examines practical strategies for managing regulatory interactions and continuously improving compliance frameworks.