Atty. Valecia M. McDowell
Valecia McDowell is a national thought leader in the areas of governmental and internal investigations, conduct risk management, and civil rights and racial equity assessments. Valecia is ranked in Chambers USA and Best Lawyers , included in national publications such as Bloomberg , American Banker , Corporate Compliance Insights , and Inside Counsel.
Profile Summary
About Valecia M. McDowell at a glance
Valecia M. McDowell is a criminal defense, business, white collar, litigation, and adr attorney based in Charlotte, North Carolina, practicing at Moore & Van Allen PLLC. They have 28+ years of legal experience, licensed to practice since 1998. Admitted to practice in North Carolina (1998). Educated at Duke University (J.D., 1998) and Duke University (BA, 1995). Recognitions include Lawyer of the Year — Litigation - Securities (Charlotte) (2026), Best Lawyers in America — Arbitration (2026), and Best Lawyers in America — Commercial Litigation (2026). Serands clients in Charlotte, NC and the surrounding metropolitan area.
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About
- Valecia McDowell is a national thought leader in the areas of governmental and internal investigations, conduct risk management, and civil rights and racial equity assessments
- Valecia is ranked in Chambers USA and Best Lawyers, included in national publications such as Bloomberg, American Banker, Corporate Compliance Insights, and Inside Counsel
- Valecia was one of the ten “Innovative Legal Practitioners” identified by the London-based Financial Times in 2023 and on Forbes Top 200 Lawyers in America list in 2024
- For more than 25 years Valecia has brought her candor, pragmaticism, and diligence to bear on behalf of her clients, establishing herself as a go-to attorney in the investigations arena
- Valecia has experience conducting large scale internal and governmental investigations reviews across the United States, Europe, Asia, and South America, with specific knowledge and experience in the areas of consumer finance, financial crimes, and employee conduct risk, including practice and company-wide reviews and racial equity assessments
- Valecia has represented clients in disputes, investigations, and negotiations involving domestic authorities, such as the Federal Reserve Board, OCC, CFPB, DOJ, SEC, HUD, FINRA, CFTC, DOA, OIG, Congress, State Attorneys General in the United States, and international authorities, such as the U.K
- Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the Japanese Financial Services Agency (JFSA), and the Comissão de Valores Mobiliarios (the Brazilian Securities Commission)
- She frequently uses her years of project management experience to lead sensitive, confidential internal investigations and civil rights reviews and assessments for Fortune 500 companies and recently led the team that published a racial equity audit report for CoreCivic, the largest private operator of corrections and detention facilities in the US
- Valecia has also served as a guest instructor at the Duke University School of Law, teaching a course on internal investigations, and has frequently been selected to speak regarding conduct risk management at the SIFMA C&L Annual Seminar
- Valecia has also written or been featured in articles published by Bloomberg, American Banker, Corporate Compliance Insights, and Inside Counsel on the topics of internal investigations, financial services compliance, and risk management
Practice Areas Explained
Valecia M. McDowell's Areas of Practice
Each practice area below reflects the types of cases Valecia M. McDowell handles, with a brief overview of what that area of law covers.
A criminal defense attorney protects your rights from arrest through trial. Find experienced lawyers handling DUI, drug, federal, theft, and violent-crime charges.
Valecia M. McDowell is one of 214,270 criminal defense attorneys indexed nationally. Browse criminal defense attorneys in North Carolina →
Business attorneys advise founders and growing companies on entity formation, contracts, financing, M&A, and dispute resolution.
Valecia M. McDowell is one of 501,317 business attorneys indexed nationally. Browse business attorneys in North Carolina →
Valecia M. McDowell is one of 20,025 white collar attorneys indexed nationally. Browse white collar attorneys in North Carolina →
Civil litigation attorneys for breach of contract, business disputes, civil rights, and class action lawsuits.
Valecia M. McDowell is one of 454,532 litigation attorneys indexed nationally. Browse litigation attorneys in North Carolina →
Mediators and arbitrators for civil, commercial, family, and employment dispute resolution.
Valecia M. McDowell is one of 73,906 adr attorneys indexed nationally. Browse adr attorneys in North Carolina →
Jurisdictional Context
Why local counsel matters in North Carolina
Practicing law in North Carolina. Legal matters in North Carolina are governed by state-specific rules of civil and criminal procedure, statutes of limitations, and substantive law. Cases originating in Charlotte are typically filed in the local municipal court or the appropriate North Carolina state district court, depending on subject matter and amount in controversy. An attorney licensed in North Carolina brings working knowledge of local procedural deadlines, judicial practices in this andnue, and the substantive law that applies to cases brought here. Out-of-state attorneys generally cannot represent clients in North Carolina courts without local counsel or pro hac vice admission.
Looking for additional North Carolina attorneys? Browse all attorneys in Charlotte or all attorneys in North Carolina.
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