Former SEC Chair White Returns to Debevoise

Andrew Ceresney, who was SEC enforcement director under her leadership, also announced last month that he would return to Debevoise. He will rejoin the firm in March as litigation co-chair, the same title White held before she became SEC chair.

During White's tenure as chair, the commission brought more than 2,850 enforcement actions, more than any other three-year period in the SEC's history, and obtained judgments and orders totaling more than $13.4 billion. In addition, White implemented an SEC policy to require admissions of wrongdoing in certain cases.

"Simply put, Mary Jo is a giant in the legal profession," said Michael Blair, Debevoise's presiding partner, in a statement. "Mary Jo's leadership and accomplishments are truly extraordinary, and her experience and judgment will be a tremendous asset to our clients and the firm."

Debevoise is one of the most profitable law firms on Wall Street, with average profits per partner reaching $2.625 million in 2015, according to The American Lawyer. The year before White left to lead the SEC, she received slightly more than $2.4 million from the firm, according to ethics disclosures.

— Check out Sizing Up the New SEC Chair's Agenda on ThinkAdvisor.