Jaguars CLO shares how civility helps build deals
In the latest On Civility podcast, Megha Parekh explains how respect and collaboration drive successful transactional law in the NFL
Megha Parekh
Jacksonville Jaguars Chief Legal Officer Megha Parekh says civility isn’t just good manners, it’s smart business. In the latest episode of The Florida Bar’s On Civility podcast, Parekh discusses how collaboration and respect drive successful deal-making in the high-stakes world of professional sports.
Parekh joined the Jaguars’ front office in 2013 and was promoted to her current role in 2021. She now oversees all legal operations, as well as employee training, technology systems, security, and local real estate development.
Parekh says the appeal of an in-house counsel role is in the “diverse scope of work.” Parekh worked on the acquisition of Fulham Football Club in England; public-private funded improvements to EverBank Stadium; the 2017 opening of Daily’s Place, a concert venue that hosts 40 musical performances per year; multiple naming rights partnerships; the launch of All Elite Wrestling; construction of a Four Seasons Hotel and new Jaguars front office space on the Jacksonville Riverwalk; and the securing of a new agreement to “reimagine” the stadium and extend the Jaguars’ lease for 30 years.
Having interviewed litigators and judges previously, host Magie Ozarowski is especially interested in Parekh’s perspective on civility as a transactional attorney. Parekh agrees that transactional law lends itself more easily to dispute resolution through collaborative solutions than litigation and provides examples illustrating the importance of civility in her day-to-day work.
“Transactional attorneys generally don’t want to end up in litigation,” says Parekh. From her perspective, knowing how to have “respectful conversations” is a risk management tool and being “open, transparent, kind, compassionate doesn’t make you a weak or ineffective lawyer.”
“Unless someone is being dishonest or unethical, just because you’re in a difficult position doesn’t mean you have to be adversarial,” she says. She goes on to quote a character from the TV show “Yellowstone,” saying, “You’re never going to convince someone by insulting them.”
Prior to joining the Jaguars, Parekh worked in mergers and acquisitions and finance for Proskauer in New York. While working for big law had its attractions, Parekh has made a home in Jacksonville and derives greater satisfaction from “helping to change the Jacksonville community overall,” she says.
“Civility and the Importance of Self-Awareness” featuring Megha Parekh, executive vice president and chief legal officer Jacksonville Jaguars, course #9494, has been approved by The Florida Bar Continuing Legal Education Department for 1 hour of General credit 1 hour of Professionalism CLE credit.