The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced today that Cicely LaMothe, Deputy Director of the Division of Corporation Finance, has retired after more than two decades of service.
LaMothe, who joined the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance in 2002, has held several senior leadership roles throughout her tenure, including Program Director of the Disclosure Review Program and Associate Director of both the Office of Assessment and Continuous Improvement and Disclosure Operations.
In 2022, she was named Deputy Director for Disclosure Operations and served as Acting Director until Jim Moloney was appointed Director on September 30, 2025.
“Cicely has gone above and beyond the call of duty over the past twenty-four years to serve the public in her many critical roles in the Division of Corporation Finance,” said Jim Moloney, Director of the Division.
“Throughout her tenure, she has contributed her passion, commitment, and accounting expertise to support our mission, to ensure investors have the information they need to make informed decisions. She will be sorely missed, and we wish her all the best on her next chapter.”
During her career at the SEC, LaMothe played a key role in enhancing regulatory clarity and transparency, leading initiatives that produced more than 25 new and updated Compliance and Disclosure Interpretations (C&DIs) covering topics such as clawbacks, deSPAC transactions, Rule 10b5-1 plans, and other areas.
She also oversaw the release of Staff Legal Bulletin 14M, clarifying Rule 14a-8 shareholder proposal procedures, and seven Corporation Finance Staff Statements addressing emerging crypto-related matters, including liquid staking, stablecoins, mining activities, meme coins, and crypto exchange-traded products.
LaMothe also contributed to policy recommendations on mandatory arbitration provisions in registration statements and helped modernize the Division’s review processes to improve oversight efficiency.
She supported expanded accommodations for companies submitting draft registration statements, aimed at promoting capital formation.
Reflecting on her career, LaMothe said she departs “with a deep sense of honor and gratitude for the opportunity to serve the American public,” adding that the work has been both “incredibly challenging and rewarding.”
Before joining the SEC, LaMothe spent six years in the private sector, including roles as a financial reporting manager for a public company and at a national accounting firm. She holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Hampton University and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA).