Charlotte, NC – The North Carolina State University Alumni Association has selected Dena King as the recipient of its 2025 Meritorious Service Award. The award recognizes an NC State graduate who has "made outstanding contributions to their profession, community, and NC State."

Dena earned her bachelor's degree from NC State in 2003, where she was a member of the Honors and Scholars Program, served on the Judicial Board, and was initiated into the Mu Omicron chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. She graduated magna cum laude from the Poole College of Management.

After earning her law degree, Dena began her legal career as an Assistant District Attorney for the Mecklenburg District Attorney’s Office and then was a securities enforcement attorney at the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State. She joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2014 and in 2021 was appointed as the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. 

At Parker Poe, Dena is a litigator who counsels clients on white collar defense, government and internal investigations, and compliance best practices. She advises clients across a range of industries, including financial services, health care, and education, and represents them in encounters with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and other prosecutors and regulators. 

About Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP
Businesses and local governments turn to Parker Poe to structure transactions, navigate regulations, and resolve disputes. Founded in 1884, the Southeast business law firm today has approximately 300 attorneys across offices in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Washington, DC.

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.