Christopher Cox, the newly confirmed chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, may not offer much regulatory relief to the businesses that backed his 16- year career in the House of Representatives. The Chamber of Commerce proposes that the SEC stop assessing large civil fines against companies and focus instead on punishing individuals. That may be a long shot, as the agency probably will feel pressure to continue imposing hefty penalties as a deterrent, said Peter Henning, who teaches courses in securities litigation and white-collar crime at Wayne State University Law School in Detroit . "People like to see large fines,\'\' Henning said. "That plays well in the media too.\'\'