17 CFR § 205.4 - Responsibilities of supervisory attorneys.
---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t17/s205.4"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "17 CFR § 205.4 - Responsibilities of supervisory attorneys."
title_number: 17
title_name: "Commodity and Securities Exchanges"
section_number: "205.4"
section_name: "Responsibilities of supervisory attorneys."
chapter_name: "SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION"
part_number: "205"
part_name: "STANDARDS OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT FOR ATTORNEYS APPEARING AND PRACTICING BEFORE THE COMMISSION IN THE REPRESENTATION OF AN ISSUER"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-04-05"
last_updated: "2026-04-05"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
authority: "15 U.S.C. 77s, 78d-3, 78w, 80a-37, 80a-38, 80b-11, 7202, 7245, and 7262."
regulatory_source: "68 FR 6320, Feb. 6, 2003, unless otherwise noted."
cfr_part: "205"
---
# 205.4 Responsibilities of supervisory attorneys.
(a) An attorney supervising or directing another attorney who is appearing and practicing before the Commission in the representation of an issuer is a supervisory attorney. An issuer's chief legal officer (or the equivalent thereof) is a supervisory attorney under this section.
(b) A supervisory attorney shall make reasonable efforts to ensure that a subordinate attorney, as defined in § 205.5(a), that he or she supervises or directs conforms to this part. To the extent a subordinate attorney appears and practices before the Commission in the representation of an issuer, that subordinate attorney's supervisory attorneys also appear and practice before the Commission.
(c) A supervisory attorney is responsible for complying with the reporting requirements in § 205.3 when a subordinate attorney has reported to the supervisory attorney evidence of a material violation.
(d) A supervisory attorney who has received a report of evidence of a material violation from a subordinate attorney under § 205.3 may report such evidence to the issuer's qualified legal compliance committee if the issuer has duly formed such a committee.