Market-leading lawyer trusted by private and public companies, private equity firms and others to navigate mergers & acquisitions (M&A), joint ventures and other corporate transactions.
Key member in Akin’s Energy and M&A teams, leading major deals in the United States and globally across sectors, including energy and energy transition.
Speaker on emerging market topics such as the impact of AI on M&A and corporate transactions.

Leana’s practice spans U.S. domestic and international mergers & acquisitions (M&A), joint ventures and other complex corporate matters. She brings clients a powerful combination of technical command, business fluency, and pragmatic problem‑solving. Clients rely on her practical guidance to anticipate challenges and find innovative solutions to get deals done.

A key member of Akin’s Energy & M&A practice groups, Leana has led and advised on major deals across sectors, including energy, energy transition, manufacturing, and technology. Her international practice gives global clients a strategic edge in cross‑border transactions.

Leana frequently speaks on a variety of market topics, including how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping M&A and corporate transactions. She presents at leading industry conferences and authors on emerging issues affecting dealmakers.

She is also active in firm and community leadership, including through the Women’s Energy Network, the ABA M&A Committee, the Houston Bar Association Corporate Counsel Section, the Georgetown Club of Houston, and the City of Houston’s Millennial Advisory Board.

Representative Work

M&A

Advised MRC Global Inc., the leading global distributor of pipe, values and fittings and other infrastructure products, in its $3 billion merger with DNOW.
Represented Diamondback Energy Inc., in a transaction pursuant to which Plains All American Pipeline LP and Plains GP Holdings acquired a combined 55% equity interest in EPIC Crude Holdings LP, an affiliate of EPIC Midstream Holdings LP, from subsidiaries of Diamondback Energy and a subsidiary of Kinetik Holdings Inc.
Represented Diamondback Energy Inc. in its $750 million sale of Environmental Disposal Systems LLC to Deep Blue Midland Basin LLC.
Advised Innovex, a leading provider of mission-critical technologies and services across the well lifecycle for the oil and gas industry, in its merger with Dril-Quip.
Represented Tellurian Inc. in its approximately $900 million sale to Woodside Energy Group.
Advised Talos Energy Inc. in its $1.29 billion acquisition of QuarterNorth Energy Inc.

Represented Aquadrill in its close to $1 billion all-stock merger with Seadrill, a leading offshore drilling contractor.
Advised Triller Hold Co LLC, a social media platform that uses proprietary AI technology, in its merger with SeaChange International Inc.
Advised Rattler Midstream Operating LLC, a subsidiary of Diamondback Energy Inc., in the sale of its entire 43% membership interest in OMOG JV LLC for $225 million.
Counseled Diamondback Energy Inc. and Rattler Midstream LP in parallel sale transactions.
Advised Diamondback Energy Inc. in its $2.2-billion all-stock acquisition of QEP Resources Inc. and its acquisition of all leasehold interests and related assets of Guidon Operating LLC in exchange for 10.63 million shares of Diamondback common stock and $375 million cash.
Counseled Cimarex Energy Co. in its acquisition of Resolute Energy Corporation in a cash and stock transaction valued at approximately $1.6 billion.
Represented CenterPoint Energy in its $6-billion acquisition of Vectren Corporation, a power and gas utility operating in Indiana and Ohio.

Joint Ventures

Advised Enterprise Products Partners LP in its agreement with ExxonMobil whereby ExxonMobil will acquire a 40% undivided joint interest in Enterprise’s Bahia NGL Pipeline.
Advised Cottonmouth Ventures LLC, a subsidiary of Diamondback Energy, in its Joint Development Agreement with Verde Clean Fuels.
Represented Diamondback Energy Inc. in the formation of a new joint venture entity Deep Blue Midland Basin LLC with Five Point Energy LLC.
Counseled the conflicts committee of BP Midstream Partners LP in its $468-million acquisition of equity interests in three midstream joint ventures from wholly owned subsidiaries of BP plc.

Languages
Russian
Tatar

Education
J.D., Georgetown University Law Center, cum laude
B.A., Kazan Federal University

Bar Admissions
Texas

Recognitions

The Legal 500 US, Energy Transactions: Oil and Gas, 2025.
The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch (Mergers and Acquisitions Law), 2023-2024.
Georgetown University Alumni Awards, 2021 and 2025.
The Texas Lawbook, Profiled as among Akin’s Texas Achievements, 2020.
Houston Corporate Counsel Awards, M&A Transaction of the Year, 2019.
The Georgetown Law Journal, Milton A. Kaufman Prize.

Affiliations and Public Service

Member and speaker, Institute for Energy Law.
Member, M&A Committee, American Bar Association.
Board member and former president, Georgetown Club of Houston.
Member, Women’s Energy Network.
Member and former chair, Corporate Counsel Section, Houston Bar Association.
Board member, City of Houston’s Millennial Advisory Board, 2020-2022.

Speeches and Publications

Speaker, “Deal Maker’s Boot Camp: Joint Ventures,” 2024.
Co-author, “A New Year of Advancing the Field of Corporate Practice,” the Houston Lawyer, 2023.
Speaker, “Deal or No Deal: Ethical Considerations for Dealmakers,” Houston Bar Association and Georgetown Club, 2023.
Speaker, “Proxy Season Preview: Tips and Trends,” HBA Corporate Counsel Section Webinars, 2019-2022.
Moderator, “Ethics in Negotiation and Mediation Skills,” Georgetown Club Webinar, 2022.
Moderator, Georgetown Club events with Dr. Angela Stent on U.S.-Russia topics, 2019-2021.