W. Scott Harkey is the managing partner of the Harkey Litigation law offices in North Carolina. Scott previously guided the Financial Crimes Unit as a special prosecutor from March 2013 until May 2021. Before his appointment as the Senior Financial Crimes Prosecutor, Scott defended civil cases at a law firm in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Scott has tried dozens of jury cases in North Carolina’s State and Federal Courts, securing favorable verdicts in multi-million-dollar disputes. He obtained his first multi-million-dollar judgment at the age of 28. Since 2013, Scott has tried more complex white-collar matters in North Carolina than any other lawyer.
Scott’s law practice focuses primarily on high stakes litigation. He represents businesses and individuals in State and Federal courts. In recent years, he has achieved favorable verdicts in some of the most notorious fraud cases in modern North Carolina history, including a $269.9 million contract fraud case, the UNC athlete agent scandal, and a multi-million-dollar Ponzi scheme. He is a North Carolina State Bar Board Certified Specialist in state criminal law.
As a former prosecutor and board-certified specialist, Scott has handled cases in over 60 North Carolina counties. He is a frequent lecturer and adviser on economic malfeasance issues such as fraud, financial privacy, public corruption and other white-collar matters. His cases have been featured in national publications including USA Today, Associated Press, ESPN, Seattle Times, Washington Post, Washington Times, Newsweek, CNN, and Adweek magazine.
