The Securities and Exchange Commission has appointed James Doty as chairman and Jay Hanson and Lewis Ferguson as members of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 established the PCAOB to oversee the audits of public companies and broker-dealers in order to protect the interests of investors and further the public interest in the preparation of informative, accurate, and independent audit reports. The PCAOB accomplishes these goals through registering public accounting firms, setting auditing standards, conducting inspections, and establishing disciplinary programs. The PCAOB is subject to oversight by the SEC.

Doty is currently a partner at Baker Botts in Washington, D.C. He has represented clients on a wide range of securities law matters. He also counsels boards of directors and audit committees on problems arising under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and related issues. Doty served as the SEC's general counsel from 1990 to 1992.

Hanson is currently a partner and the national director of accounting at McGladrey & Pullen in Bloomington, Minn., with overall responsibility for leading the firm's accounting standards group. He has been with the firm for more than 30 years. Hanson is a member of the Emerging Issues Task Force of the Financial Accounting Standards Board and chair of the Financial Reporting Executive Committee of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Ferguson is currently a partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher  in Washington, D.C., specializing in securities transactions and disclosure, representation of audit committees and auditors, and corporate governance matters. Prior to joining the firm, Ferguson served for more than three years as the first general counsel of the PCAOB.