A first chair litigator and trusted counselor to business executives, owners, entrepreneurs, and investors, Megan Costa DeLeon has achieved landmark victories, set precedent, and impacted the business landscape for her clients, including global Fortune 500 companies, private equity funds and their portfolio companies, publicly traded and family and privately owned businesses. Because of her reputation as a tenacious litigator, Megan’s clients value her strategic perspective informed by her decades of practice and master’s level business education. A leader within Akerman and in the profession, Megan serves on the Firm’s Board of Directors, where she provides guidance on firm management and initiatives. She also serves as one of only three United States based members of the international Board of Directors of Lex Mundi, a leading global services platform with member firms in over 100 countries.
From bet-the-company disputes and contentious litigation amongst closely held family businesses to novel issues of law, Megan is sought out for her strategic-minded approach, deft touch, and ability to build consensus with stakeholders. With a diverse practice encompassing contractual disputes, complex commercial matters, construction disputes, and derivative actions, she has served as lead counsel in dozens of trials and arbitrations, with a track record of achieving optimum outcomes, including precedent-setting victories, such as leading the trial team that litigated the first contested and reported judicial termination of a condominium in the State of Florida.
With a certificate in family business governance from Northwestern University, Megan counsels and represents family enterprises on issues and opportunities that are specific to private and closely held businesses, such as governance, succession planning, dispute resolution, and the acquisition and disposition of business assets. Moreover, Megan has amassed focused training on international legal business issues through her immersive business management training at the University of Cambridge, Judge Business School, where Megan was one of 40 lawyers from over 29 different countries selected to participate. This unique training enables Megan to counsel internationally based companies seeking to expand operations in the United States on best practices for businesses, how to avoid litigation, and how to handle disputes when they arise.
Megan devotes her community and philanthropic work to mentorship and education. She serves as a director for Elevate Orlando, a nonprofit organization providing life skills training in the public school system and after school mentoring. As a member of the United Negro College Fund’s Advisory Board, she pioneered a STEM pipeline scholarship and internship program in partnership with the United Negro College Fund, which honored her with its Champion of Education Award. Megan was also recognized as a "Best Mentor" in Corporate Counsel's 2022 Women, Influence and Power in Law Awards.