Dena King is a litigator and former federal prosecutor who brings two decades of experience in federal and state courts counseling clients on white collar defense, government and internal investigations, compliance best practices, and crisis preparation and response. Dena advises clients across a range of industries, including financial services, healthcare, and education, and represents them in encounters with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), and other prosecutors and regulators.
Dena is the former presidentially appointed and Senate-confirmed U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. In that role, Dena was responsible for leading an office of more than 100 federal prosecutors and support staff across western North Carolina. Dena oversaw prosecutions of white-collar crimes, financial and securities fraud, healthcare fraud, violent crime, foreign and domestic terrorism, civil rights investigations, and other civil cases. She also supervised complex litigation and high-profile cases, including False Claims Act violations. Dena’s experience informs her practice of advising clients in preparing for and navigating through high-stakes, high-visibility situations.
Prior to that, Dena was the deputy criminal chief for the Violent Crimes and Drug Section for the Western District of North Carolina as well as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, overseeing sweeping investigations into violations of federal criminal laws and trying cases to juries. Before that, Dena was a securities enforcement attorney at the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, where she prosecuted cases arising under the Securities Act, Investment Advisers Act, Commodity Exchange Act, Lanham Act (trademarks), and the Uniform Athlete Agents Act.
An experienced trial lawyer, Dena has tried more than 100 civil and criminal cases to verdict and litigated hundreds of cases from initial filing through appeal.
Dena earned a bachelor's degree from North Carolina State University and a law degree from North Carolina Central University.