Utibe I. Ikpe. Partner.

Commercial Litigation

. Overview. About Utibe I. Ikpe Utibe I. Ikpe, a partner with Meland Budwick, P.A., focuses her practice on commercial litigation. Prior to joining the firm, she was an attorney at a boutique commercial litigation firm in Miami, Florida. Utibe has experience representing large and small businesses in complicated litigation disputes, including, among others, shareholder disputes, D&O liability, trade secret litigation, and fraudulent transfer claims. Utibe provides invaluable strategic guidance to business clients, and she has wide-ranging experience, having litigated matters in state court, federal court, and arbitration. Utibe is also an active member of numerous organizations. She is vice-chair of the Florida Bar Business Law Section’s Business Litigation Committee and the past chair of the organization’s Continuing Legal Education Committee. Utibe also serves on the National Bar Association Commercial Law Section’s Executive Committee. Utibe has an interest in African affairs, and she has contributed to the World Roundup Section of the Florida Bar International Law Quarterly Newsletter, where she wrote about current legal developments in Africa. While attending law school at George Washington University, Utibe was a member of the Mock Trial Board and a semi-finalist in the Cohen and Cohen Mock Trial Competition. Utibe also worked as a judicial intern for the Honorable Chief Judge Pratt at the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. . Education J.D., 2009, The George Washington University Law School Mock Trial Board Cohen and Cohen Mock Trial competition, Semi-finalist (within top four teams) B.S., 2005, magna cum laude, Florida State University Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society Dean’s List, all semesters   Memberships National Bar Association Commercial Law Section, Executive Committee 2023-2024 Florida Bar Business Law Section, Business Litigation Committee, Vice Chair Florida Bar Business Law Section, CLE Committee National Bar Association Akwa-Ibom Association of Nigeria, USA Inc.   Awards/Rankings Lawdragon, 500 Leading Litigators in America, 2025 Florida Trend, Legal Elite Notable Women in Law, 2024 Daily Business Review, Florida Legal Awards, “On the Rise,” 2024 National Bar Association, “40 Under 40 Nation’s Best Advocates’ Award, 2023 Publications Author, “The International Criminal Court May Face an African Exodus,” Fla. Bar Int’l L. Q., Winter 2017 Author, “Nigeria Considers Stricter Anti-terrorism Laws,” Fla. Bar Int’l L. Q., Winter 2017 Author, “Senegal Invokes Universal Jurisdiction and Prosecutes Former President Hissène Habré of Chad on Behalf of Africa”, Fla. Bar Int’l L. Q., Fall 2016 Author, Nigerians Outraged as Senate Rejects Gender Equality Bill, Fla. Bar Int’l L. Q., Fall 2016 Co-author, “Think Before You Plea: Juvenile Collateral Consequences in the United States,” A.B.A., Crim. Just. Sec. (2012) Author, “Arizona DREAM Act Coalition Files Suit Against Arizona Officials,” A.B.A., Minority Trial Laws, Division News & Dev. (2012) Bar Admissions Florida Virginia United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida Community Florida Bar Business Law Section, CLE Committee, Chair National Bar Association 1960 Akwa-Ibom Association of Nigeria, USA Inc. . Office Number. 305-358-6363. Fax number. 305-358-1221 . Email. uikpe@melandbudwick.com Representative Matters. Commercial Litigation. Obtained dismissal of all claims in pre-litigation negotiations with the FDIC while representing directors and officers of a Florida financial institution that went into receivership.. Commercial Litigation. Obtained summary judgment on behalf of a vocational institution in a four-hundred-thousand-dollar breach-of-contract and declaratory judgment action involving the interpretation of an asset purchase agreement. . Commercial Litigation. Represented Miami-Dade County government entity in recouping over four million dollars in a financial dispute.. Commercial Litigation. Defended directors and officers from multiple Puerto Rican financial institutions in litigation brought by the FDIC for alleged breaches of fiduciary duty regarding governance and the management of over fifty lending transactions.. Commercial Litigation. Participated in litigation team that obtained a multi-million-dollar settlement in class action litigation against one of Florida’s largest health insurance providers.. Commercial Litigation. Represented minority shareholder in bringing derivative action for breach of fiduciary duty, tortious interference with advantageous business relationships, and various other business torts. . Commercial Litigation. Second-chaired bench trial and obtained a collective four-million-dollar verdict in two breach of guaranty actions that were collectively tried in Miami-Dade’s Complex Business Litigation Division.. Employment, Commercial Litigation. Represented former employee of solid fuel provider in action regarding non-solicitation and non-compete obligations. . News. Utibe I. Ikpe selected as a Florida Trend Legal Elite Notable Women Leader in Law. December 19, 2024. Four Meland Budwick Partners Listed in the 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America. September 6, 2024. How I Made Partner: 'Take Time to Explore and Learn What You Want to Do,' Says Utibe Ikpe of Meland Budwick. July 8, 2024. Utibe I. Ikpe and Meaghan Murphy Named Among the Daily Business Review’s 2024 Florida Legal Awards Honorees. February 6, 2024. Utibe I. Ikpe Joins the National Bar Association Commercial Law Section’s 2023-2024 Executive Committee. October 12, 2023. Utibe I. Ikpe appointed as Second Vice Chair of the Business Litigation Committee of the Florida Bar’s Business Law Section. July 5, 2023. Utibe I. Ikpe Receives 2023 National Bar Association “40 Under 40” Award. June 16, 2023. Utibe I. Ikpe Elevated to Partner. January 1, 2023. Investor Says 'Cannabis King' Ran Off With Millions. April 10, 2020. MRB. Contact us, Our attorneys, careers. About. Firm overview, Our Values, Community involvement, Representative matters. Pracrtice. Real Estate, Commercial Litigation, Receiverships and Assignments, Bankruptcy and Restructuring. 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