Colorado Law is proud to announce that Michele Anderson (’97) has been named as the school’s October Alum of the Month. Anderson has worked for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for the past 17 years, and in July was named as the new associate director of the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance. As a member of the federal government’s Senior Executive Service and the division’s senior leadership team, she oversees the work of the SEC’s Office of Mergers and Acquisitions and its Office of International Corporate Finance.
Anderson, nearly a native Coloradan, grew up in Aurora with a love of the beautiful Colorado outdoors. As a “Double Buff,” she decided to stay in state for both her undergraduate (’93) and law degrees.
As a self-proclaimed Supreme Court fan, Anderson began law school with a keen interest in Constitutional law. However, after taking a number of business-focused classes, such as securities regulation, corporations, mergers and acquisitions, and accounting for lawyers, Anderson quickly realized that her heart was in the business arena. Anderson found her true passion working in securities, where she was drawn to the logical reasoning and strategy behind the transactions.
Upon graduating, however, Anderson had a difficult time finding the securities work that she was interested in pursuing in Colorado. For six months she performed contract work, assisting with securities litigation involving a major telecom company. During that time, Anderson continued to prime her network for the right opportunity. That moment finally came when one of her role models, Professor Dennis Hynes, spoke with a Colorado Law alum who was a member of the SEC staff and learned they were hiring. Professor Hynes had just the right candidate in mind. At the same time, another one of her mentors, Professor Ted Fiflis, put in a good word for her with a senior SEC official.
In 1998, Anderson packed her bags and headed to Washington, D.C. to begin her career at the SEC as an attorney-advisor in the Division of Corporation Finance, which is responsible for reviewing federal securities law filings, including registration statements, periodic reports, and proxy materials made by public companies. In 2001, she began a three-year stint in the division’s Office of Mergers and Acquisitions, where she served as a legal advisor on M&A and other matters relating to changes in corporate control. In 2004, Anderson was appointed legal branch chief in the division’s Office of Telecommunications. In that role, Anderson oversaw a great deal of consolidation in the telecom industry, including the merger of Verizon and MCI. She returned to the M&A office in 2008 and served as its chief for seven years—seeing it through the financial crisis, significant legislative reform such as the Dodd-Frank Act, and the recent rise of shareholder activism. Additionally, she was awarded the SEC’s Excellence in Leadership Award in 2010 and is a two-time recipient of the agency’s Law and Policy Award, having received it in 2010 and 2011.
Today, Anderson looks forward to the new challenges of being a member of the division’s senior staff. When she is able to get away from the office, she enjoys spending time with her family and exploring all of the outdoors that the East Coast has to offer. She tries to get back to Colorado as much as possible, and now that her daughter has turned four, she looks forward to bringing her on new travel adventures.
What is your fondest memory of being a student at Colorado Law?
Since Colorado Law is a relatively small school, it was easy to get to know my classmates and professors. The atmosphere was very collegial rather than competitive. In particular, I fondly recall the close relationships that I developed with some of my law school professors. I remain grateful that I had wonderful mentors who took a personal interest in me.
What do you know now that you wish you had known in law school?
Never squander an opportunity that comes your way. Do the best you can at whatever you are doing, be it a research project, internship, summer associate job, or otherwise. The legal community is a small one, and you never know who will see your work and what that might lead to.
What advice would you give to current students as they're preparing to graduate?
To the extent it is financially feasible, try not to settle for just any job. In the long run, you will be better off, both personally and professionally, if you can hold out for a job that will allow you to work in a field that you love.
Who was the biggest influence on your career?
I have learned a great deal from every supervisor I have had at the SEC, but I have to credit one of them as having had the greatest influence on me: Dennis Garris, who led the M&A office when I joined as a junior attorney. He not only taught me the ins and outs of M&A regulation, but he imparted the value of having fun at work. He also taught me how to be an effective manager by demonstrating how important it is to put people first. In addition, my family has been very influential in terms of being very supportive of my career and encouraging me to take risks.
Of what accomplishment are you most proud?
Raising my wonderful daughter, who is now in preschool, while continuing in a job that is intellectually challenging and professionally rewarding.