William Leone, former U.S. attorney for Colorado, will join Faegre & Benson next month as a partner in the firm’s Denver office.
Leone headed the federal government’s investigation of alleged corporate fraud at Qwest. He was the lead prosecutor in the criminal insider-trading case against former Qwest chief executive Joe Nacchio until he announced in August that he would withdraw from the case and return to private practice.
Leone, who grew up in Trinidad, joined the U.S. attorney’s office in 2001 as first assistant U.S. attorney. He was appointed to the office’s top position in December 2004 after former U.S. Attorney John Suthers was named Colorado attorney general following Ken Salazar’s election to the U.S. Senate.
Leone previously served as a partner at the law firm of Cooley Godward in Broomfield, specializing in antitrust, intellectual-property and Internet cases.
