Carden, David Lee

David Lee Carden was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. Carden graduated from Indianapolis’ North Central High School in in 1969 and then enrolled at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. Carden majored in Political Philosophy at DePauw and graduated with a B.A., with highest honors, in 1973 (Phi Beta Kappa). He then enrolled at the Indiana University School of Law, where he received his J.D., Order of the Coif, in 1976.

During the summer of 1975, Carden was a law clerk at the Chicago firm of Kirkland & Ellis and upon his graduation, it was at Kirkland & Ellis where his legal career began. He later became a Partner in the Chicago firm of Coffield Ungaretti, before joining the Chicago office of Jones Day in 1990. Ten years later he moved to Jones Day’s New York office and led their Trial Practice department, as well as serving as Co-chair of the Jones Day worldwide Securities Litigation & SEC Enforcement Practice. He has represented clients in some of the largest securities fraud class actions ever litigated.

In 2011 Carden became the first resident U.S. Ambassador to the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), overseeing the broadening engagement of the United States in Southeast Asia. As U.S. Ambassador, he oversaw the broadening engagement of the United States in Southeast Asia, which included the Obama Administration’s 2011 “pivot” or “rebalance” to the region. His responsibilities included supporting ASEAN economic integration and advocating for the systemic changes necessary to promote peaceful and prosperous growth in the region.

Under his leadership, the U.S. Mission addressed the issues inherent in realizing ASEAN’s aspirations. These included: economic development, trade liberalization, intellectual property protection, developing the rule of law and more effective governance, human rights, pandemic prevention and preparedness, advancing health care and educational opportunities, terrestrial and maritime environmental protection, managing the region’s fisheries and natural resources, responding to deforestation and climate change, food and water security, and advancing programs to increase the resilience of ASEAN’s people and institutions. In recognition of his efforts, Ambassador Carden was awarded the Department of State’s Superior Honor Award in December 2013.

Carden returned to Jones Day in 2014 where he serves as Partner-in-Charge Asia.

Carden has been recognized by Chambers as a “New York Super Lawyer,” by the New York Times as a “Super Lawyer” for his accomplishment’s defending securities litigation, and by Lawdragons’ as one of the “Lawyers You Need to Know in Securities Litigation.” In December 2013, Carden received the U.S. Department of State’s Superior Honor Award. In 2014, he received the Indiana University Thomas Hart Benton Mural Medallion in recognition of his relationship and contributions to the University. Carden was a member of the Law School’s Board of Visitors from 1999 to 2011, served as a commencement speaker at the Law School’s graduation ceremony in 2012, and was inducted into the Maurer School of Law Academy of Law Alumni Fellows in 2016.