[1] Pearce was elected to the House of Representatives at the 2001 Aston by-election, retaining the seat for the Liberal Party following the death of incumbent MP Peter Nugent.

[1] He was responsible for the Howard government's proposed changes to financial services legislation, reported in 2006 as "the biggest overhaul since the corporate law economic reform program began in 1997".

[6] In September 2008, Pearce was included in Malcolm Turnbull's shadow ministry with responsibility for the financial services, superannuation and corporate law portfolio.

[7] In July 2010, it was reported that Pearce would join Telstra as a business development executive responsible for contracts with government agencies.

[8] He was appointed as an adjunct professor at Deakin Business School in 2019 and has also served as deputy chair of the St. Vincent's Institute of Medical Research.