Charlotte, NC – Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP is pleased to announce Dena King has joined the firm as a partner in Charlotte and will advise clients on white collar defense, government and internal investigations, and regulatory and compliance issues. She joins Parker Poe after three years as the United States Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina (WDNC). Before that, she spent seven years as deputy criminal chief and Assistant U.S. Attorney in the WDNC and Eastern District of North Carolina (EDNC).
As the chief law enforcement officer of the WDNC, Dena led an office of more than 100 federal prosecutors and support staff across western North Carolina. She oversaw prosecutions of white-collar crimes, financial and securities fraud, health care 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.
Before that, Dena was the deputy criminal chief for the Violent Crimes and Drug Section for the WDNC as well as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the EDNC. Dena began her career as an Assistant District Attorney in Mecklenburg County and later became a securities enforcement attorney at the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State.
Dena is an experienced trial lawyer who has tried more than 100 civil and criminal cases to verdict and litigated hundreds of cases from initial filing through appeal. She adds to Parker Poe’s deep bench of litigators who represent clients in government investigations and white collar defense across the Southeast and nationally. She advises clients across a range of industries, including financial services, health care, and education.
"I look forward to joining Parker Poe’s experienced Business Litigation Group and building upon my network of relationships and litigation experience in North Carolina to help clients across the country navigate the criminal and civil judicial systems," Dena said. "I was drawn to Parker Poe not only for its demonstrated commitment to serving clients, but its culture and desire to strengthen employees professionally as well as personally."
Dena’s nearly 20 years of legal experience and deep connections in North Carolina’s legal and business communities will make her invaluable to clients, said Charlotte partner Brian Cromwell.
"Dena has demonstrated a pragmatic approach to the practice of law that we absolutely welcome and believe in," Brian said. Dena also brings practical securities enforcement experience that will help the firm’s financial services clients, Brian added, because she can take the lead in addressing various enforcement actions, whether it’s from a regulatory authority like the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or criminal investigations originating from the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Dena earned a bachelor’s degree from North Carolina State University and a law degree from North Carolina Central University.
About Parker Poe
Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP has more than 275 lawyers in eight offices in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Washington, DC. The firm provides legal counsel to many of the largest companies and local governments in the Southeast.
Parker Poe is a member of two leading international legal networks: TerraLex and the Employment Law Alliance. TerraLex and the ELA have chosen Parker Poe to help guide clients through the challenges of global business.