Amb. David L. Carden (Ret.)

Ambassador David L. Carden (Ret.) joins Signature Resolution as a full-time dispute resolution professional. He brings extensive experience as a lawyer, diplomat, and author, with deep expertise in high-stakes litigation.​

Ambassador Carden offers a calm, collaborative approach to mediation. At Signature Resolution, he utilizes his expertise to guide parties and counsel toward positive outcomes with a comprehensive understanding of the law, business, economics, and the many factors that lead parties to take the approaches they do as they attempt to resolve their disputes. He believes in fully immersing himself in the litigants’ world, going beyond a thorough understanding of the applicable law, to understanding their business and economic needs and perspectives. He is accomplished at managing cases involving multiple parties, especially if they include those from different cultures and traditions. Ambassador Carden’s broad legal and diplomatic experience has taught him to be both empathetic and open-minded. He leaves no stone unturned and assesses all angles of a case, ultimately leading to meaningful, yet practical solutions. ​

Before joining the firm, Ambassador Carden built a distinguished legal career specializing in the defense of claims alleging fraud in the sale and trading of securities, commodities, and currencies. He also is experienced in cases involving environmental damage and mass tort. After earning his juris doctorate at Indiana University Maurer School of Law, where he was Order of the Coif, he began his practice at Kirkland & Ellis in Chicago, working in the Litigation Department and as part of the legal team representing Amoco in the aftermath of the Amoco Cadiz oil spill.​

Ambassador Carden later became a partner at Coffield Ungaretti before joining Jones Day in 1990. He moved from Chicago to the firm’s New York office in 2000, where he led the Trial Practice department, which at the time included its Intellectual Property and Labor Practices. He later became Co-Chair of the firm’s worldwide Securities Litigation and Enforcement Practice. Ambassador Carden’s expertise encompassed a broad range of financial instruments and products, including derivatives, collateralized debt obligations, credit default swaps, currencies, commodities, options, and direct investments. Throughout his time at Jones Day, Ambassador Carden represented clients in some of the largest securities fraud class actions ever litigated, including the defense of Lehman Brothers in the Enron Litigation and Union Excess in the In Re AIG Securities Litigation. ​

In 2010, President Barack Obama nominated Ambassador Carden as the first resident U.S. Ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a position he held until December 2013. As Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, he was instrumental in advancing regional cooperation on economic, legal, and security matters, often mediating between diverse stakeholders to resolve disputes and strengthen diplomatic relations. ​

Most recently, Ambassador Carden has been serving as a part time mediator in high-stakes commercial mediations. He also serves on the board of the Weinstein International Foundation, which helps draft legislation establishing alternative dispute resolution systems around the world; trains lawyers and judges in mediation techniques and skills; helps facilitate the resolution of cross border disputes; and supports a cohort of Senior Fellows whose practices extend from the courtroom to refugee camps.

Ambassador Carden also serves as chairman of the Center for Rural Engagement advisory board at Indiana University, where he has been a key figure in domestic and global policy and education. His contributions to foreign policy extend beyond academia. He served as the co-chair of the Asia-Pacific subcommittee of the foreign policy group for Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign; authored the book Mapping ASEAN: Achieving Peace, Prosperity and Sustainability in Southeast Asia; and published various articles on foreign and domestic policy in publications at home and around the world. ​

Ambassador Carden also maintains an active speaking schedule on subjects ranging from alternative dispute resolution, to foreign policy, and to the identification and management of domestic and international risks, including those which affect businesses, communities, and the human and natural systems upon which the world relies. ​

Ambassador Carden has been honored by Chambers, New York Super Lawyers, and featured in The New York Times’ “Super Lawyer” section for his work in defending complex securities cases. He was also named one of Lawdragon’s “Lawyers You Need to Know in Securities Litigation.” He received the U.S. Department of State’s Superior Honor Award in 2013 for his diplomatic service. The following year, Indiana University awarded him the Thomas Hart Benton Mural Medallion in recognition of his contributions to the university and his dedication to public service.