Joan E. McKown, a partner in Jones Day's Securities Litigation & SEC Enforcement Practice, served on an elite task force on insider trading led by former Southern District of New York U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara.

The Bharara Task Force on Insider Trading brought together a group of eight leaders on insider trading from academia, private practice, and the judiciary, as well as former officials from the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Ms. McKown has more than 30 years of experience in SEC enforcement and financial regulatory matters, including investigations, exams, internal investigations, and disputes. Prior to joining Jones Day in 2010, she was chief counsel in the Division of Enforcement at the SEC, where she played a key role in establishing enforcement policies while working closely with senior SEC staff.

The Bharara Task Force reviewed and assessed the current state of insider trading laws, explored various proposals to improve the laws, and ultimately identified four key principles the members believe should guide new legislation to confront problems in the current insider trading regime.

"The Task Force believes that new legislation applying these principles would help eliminate areas of uncertainty and confusion in insider trading law and provide greater clarity for courts, practitioners, and market participants," according to the Bharara Task Force report. "Applying these principles, the Task Force has drafted certain proposed language that could be used as a template for potential legislation."

The report summary and download information is available here.