The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced Monday that it has named George Canellos as its new deputy enforcement director, effective June 4.

Canellos, who has headed the SEC's New York office since 2009, replaces Lorin Reisner, who left the agency last November to lead the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney's Manhattan office.

Prior to joining the SEC, Canellos spent nine years at the U.S. Attorney's Office, where he served as chief of the Major Crimes Unit, senior trial counsel of the Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force and deputy chief appellate attorney. He also has worked as a federal prosecutor and a litigation partner at Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy.

Robert Khuzami, director of the SEC's enforcement division, endorsed the hiring, saying that “everyone interested in the fair, thoughtful and vigorous enforcement of the federal securities laws will be thrilled with the appointment.”