U.S. Attorney John H. Durham today announced that Nora R. Dannehy has returned to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and will serve as Counsel to the U.S. Attorney.

Ms. Dannehy first joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut in 1991 and served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney until April 2008 when, as the Deputy U.S. Attorney, she became Acting U.S. Attorney upon the resignation of U.S. Attorney Kevin J. O’Connor. She served as U.S. Attorney until May 2010.

Ms. Dannehy was the 49th U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and the first woman to hold the position in the history of the Office, which was established in 1789.

As an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Ms. Dannehy specialized in the prosecution of complex white collar and public corruption cases. She also served as the Professional Responsibility Officer for the District.

In September 2008, U.S. Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey appointed Ms. Dannehy to supervise a national investigation concerning the dismissal of nine U.S. Attorneys in 2006.

“Nora Dannehy has superior legal skills and an unmatched reputation for integrity,” said U.S. Attorney Durham. “During her long tenure in the Justice Department, she led some of the most sensitive investigations ever undertaken by our office. I am thrilled that Nora has chosen to return to public service and look forward to working with her and relying on her counsel and decades of legal experience to further the cause of justice for the people of Connecticut and our nation.”

Ms. Dannehy departed the U.S. Attorney’s Office in December 2010 when she was appointed Deputy Attorney General for the State of Connecticut. From October 2013 to March 2019, she was employed by United Technologies Corporation as Associate General Counsel for Global Ethics and Compliance.

Prior to her service with the U.S. Department of Justice, Ms. Dannehy was an associate with the law firm of Day, Berry & Howard from 1988 to 1991. From 1986 to 1988, she served as a law clerk to Senior U.S. District Judge T. Emmet Clarie.

Ms. Dannehy graduated from Harvard Law School in 1986 and from Wellesley College in 1983.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office is charged with enforcing federal criminal laws in Connecticut and representing the federal government in civil litigation. The Office is composed of approximately 68 Assistant U.S. Attorneys and approximately 57 staff members at offices in New Haven, Hartford and Bridgeport.