William Ryan

As Chief Counsel, William Ryan supervises attorneys in investigations of possible violations of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, PCAOB rules, applicable federal securities laws relating to the preparation and issuance of audit reports, and professional standards. Mr. Ryan joined the PCAOB in January 2007 and was promoted to Deputy Director in 2012. He was named Chief Counsel in 2023.  

Prior to joining the PCAOB, Mr. Ryan served for eight years as an Assistant Director and trial attorney in the Commercial Litigation Branch of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. At DOJ, he represented the United States at trial and on appeal in complex commercial matters.  

Mr. Ryan also has worked as a teaching fellow at Columbia Law School and as a law clerk for U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton.  

He received a B.A., summa cum laude, from Tufts University and a J.D. and LL.M. from Columbia Law School.