David Woodcock quits ExxonMobil to Join Gibson Dunn in Dallas

David Woodcock quits ExxonMobil to Join Gibson Dunn in Dallas

David Woodcock has joined Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP as a partner in the firm's Dallas office. He was earlier working as the Assistant General Counsel – Corporate at ExxonMobil Corporation.

At Gibson Dunn, he will serve as the Co-Chair of the firm's Securities Enforcement Practice Group.

Welcoming David Woodcock to the firm, Trey Cox, Co-Partner-in-Charge of Gibson Dunn's Dallas office said: "David possesses unique and extraordinary experience as a former CPA, senior officer at the SEC, and senior counsel at a Fortune 10 company. His skills and experiences will prove invaluable in guiding public companies, officers and directors, and audit and special committees through a vast array of complex issues, including investigations, securities enforcement, ESG, corporate governance, and shareholder-related matters. He will be a tremendous asset to our clients. He also represents an important component in the build-out of our capabilities in Texas."

The firm has recently expanded its litigation platform in Texas with the additions of former Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals judge Gregg Costa and Texas trial lawyers Collin Cox and Sydney Scott. Woodcock's arrival is the latest in a series of hires from high-level in-house counsel ranks, including Jane Horvath (former Chief Privacy Officer at Apple), Kira Idoko (former Brookfield Asset Management), and Ron Hauben (former Americas General Counsel at Ernst & Young).

"David is a splendid addition to the firm," said Richard Grime, Co-Chair of the Securities Enforcement Practice Group. "His background and credentials are impressive. His government and in-house counsel experience give him a diverse business and regulatory perspective that will benefit clients dealing with critical issues. Additionally, as the former head of the Fort Worth office of the SEC, David will add even more depth to our robust bench of white-collar and SEC enforcement attorneys."

Woodcock said that he was excited to join Gibson Dunn, and added: "I look forward to returning to private practice and working with the firm's top-notch securities enforcement team to guide clients through their most complex enforcement matters."

Woodcock will be based in the Dallas and Washington, D.C. offices of Gibson Dunn. He will focus on internal investigations and securities enforcement with an emphasis on accounting and financial reporting, corporate compliance, and audit/special committee investigations. He will also advise on corporate securities and governance, shareholder activism, and ESG-related issues such as the energy transition, climate disclosures, enterprise risk management practices, cybersecurity, and related US/European regulations.

During his tenure at ExxonMobil Corporation as Assistant General Counsel – Corporate, Woodstock served as secretary of the Audit and Finance Committees and lead lawyer for the Corporate Secretary function, Sustainability Organisation, Investor Relations, Public and Government Affairs, Controllers, Finance, and Treasurers.

From 2011 to 2015, he served as the Director of the Fort Worth Regional Office at the SEC. In this role, he oversaw all aspects of the SEC's enforcement and examination activities in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Kansas and served as chair of the Financial Reporting and Auditing Task Force. He practiced with Jones Day in Dallas and Washington, D.C. from 2015 to 2020 and with Vinson & Elkins from 2001 to 2011.

He serves as an adjunct law professor at Texas A&M School of Law, Fort Worth, teaching securities enforcement, compliance, and ethics. Woodcock graduated with honours from the University of Texas School of Law in 2000. He clerked for Judge Howell Cobb in the US District Court, Eastern District of Texas. Prior to law school, he worked for Ernst & Young LLP and Price Waterhouse LLP.