10 Akin M&A partners
Partner, Partner in Corporate Group and M&A & Private Equity Partner are among the current titles held by these Akin M&A partners, who work from US offices and name mergers and acquisitions in their own practice. A reader can learn how M&A partners work at Akin from people who have held the role.
Professionals to explore
Andy Lehman
LinkedInExperience: Partner · Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
Andy Lehman has been a Partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP since May 2024, based in Houston, and describes being primarily engaged in advising clients regarding mergers, acquisitions, dispositions and related equity transactions. Andy Lehman was a Partner at McDermott Will & Schulte from 2021 to 2024 and a Partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP from 2011 to 2021.
Ashton Barrineau Butcher
LinkedInExperience: Partner · Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
Ashton Barrineau Butcher has been a Partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP since January 2023, based in Dallas, and the profile describes Ashton Barrineau Butcher as a deal-focused M&A partner who advises strategic acquirers. Ashton Barrineau Butcher was Counsel at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP from 2020 to 2023 and an Associate there from 2014 to 2020.
Daniel Tavakoli
LinkedInExperience: Partner · Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
Daniel Tavakoli has been a Partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP since June 2022, based in New York, and describes a practice focused on mergers and acquisitions (M&A) of public and private companies, representing private equity sponsors, sovereign wealth funds and their portfolio companies. Daniel Tavakoli was an Associate at Covington & Burling LLP from 2020 to 2022 and at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP from 2018 to 2020.
Elina Alperovich
LinkedInExperience: Partner · Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
Elina Alperovich has been a Partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP since October 2024, based in the New York City area, and the profile headline reads Partner at Akin | Private Equity | Mergers & Acquisitions. Elina Alperovich was Partner - Private Equity | M&A at Greenberg Traurig, LLP from 2022 to 2024 and Transaction Counsel at Apollo Global Management, Inc. from 2020 to 2022.
Jason Koenig
LinkedInExperience: Partner · Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
Jason Koenig has been a Partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP since April 2022, based in New York, and describes being a corporate partner at Akin who leads private equity transactions, M&A and shareholder activism matters. Jason Koenig was a Partner at McDermott Will & Schulte from 2019 to 2022 and a Senior Associate at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP from 2016 to 2019.
Jason Wagenmaker
LinkedInExperience: Partner · Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
Jason Wagenmaker has been a Partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP since May 2025, based in the Greater Chicago Area, and the profile headline lists Mergers & Acquisitions, Infrastructure & Transportation, Joint Ventures & Strategic Alliances and Private Equity Transactions. Jason Wagenmaker was a Partner at Mayer Brown from 2006 to 2025.
Leana Garipova
LinkedInExperience: Partner · Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
Leana Garipova has been a Partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP since January 2025, based in Houston, and the profile headline reads Partner at Akin | Mergers & Acquisitions | Joint Ventures | Energy/Energy Transition Transactions. Leana Garipova was Corporate Counsel at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP from 2022 to 2025 and an Associate there from 2016 to 2021.
Mary Lovely
LinkedInExperience: Partner in Corporate Group · Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
Mary Lovely has been Partner in Corporate Group at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP since January 2024, based in Houston, and the profile headline reads M&A/Private Equity Partner at Akin, with a practice representing strategic and financial buyers, sellers and investors. Mary Lovely was Counsel in the Corporate Group at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP from 2016 to 2023 and a Senior Associate in Corporate Department at Seyfarth Shaw LLP from 2010 to 2016.
Megan Spelman
LinkedInExperience: M&A & Private Equity Partner · Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
Megan Spelman has been M&A & Private Equity Partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP since July 2026, based in the United States, and describes advising private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies in transactions including acquisitions, divestitures, investments and joint ventures. Megan Spelman was a Partner at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP from 2022 to 2026 and a Partner at Kirkland & Ellis from 2019 to 2022.
Tom Yang
LinkedInExperience: Partner · Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
Tom Yang has been a Partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP since October 2012, based in Dallas, and the profile headline reads M&A and Securities Partner at Akin Gump, with specialties listed as securities and mergers and acquisitions. Tom Yang was a Partner at Haynes and Boone, LLP from 1994 to 2012.
Choose the right perspective
Match the person's practice focus, such as private equity deals, energy transactions or public company mergers, to the question you want to explore. Weigh how long each person has been a partner and which office they work from, since that shapes the range of matters they have seen.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01What does a typical week look like for you as an M&A partner?
- 02How has your own practice changed since you became a partner?
- 03What do you think people outside the field most often misunderstand about how a transaction gets done?
Reaching Akin M&A partners
How can I contact one of these Akin M&A partners?
Pick one of the 10 people on this page and choose "Book a paid call", or describe your project to find others. You offer a fee for a 15-minute call or a written answer, Instant Expert finds the person's work email and sends the invitation, and they decide whether to accept. The list covers 1 company: Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, based on profile data retrieved on October 25, 2026. Being listed here doesn't mean someone has agreed to take calls.
How much does it cost to reach Akin M&A partners?
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Can an AI agent ask one of these Akin M&A partners a question?
Yes. An agent with a USDC wallet on Base can ask one question without an Instant Expert account. It names the person, for example by the LinkedIn URL on this page, and pays per ask over x402 (HTTP 402). The person answers in writing or by voice note, and if nobody answers within 7 days, the payment goes back to the wallet automatically. Claude and ChatGPT can do the same through the Instant Expert connector: setup is at /docs/mcp for Claude and /docs/chatgpt for ChatGPT. x402 docs
About this directory
This is a professional research starting point based on business profile data retrieved on . Titles and companies reflect that source snapshot; roles marked former had ended by then. Check the linked profiles for current details. Inclusion does not imply Instant Expert membership or availability.