Megan Downing

Megan is an experienced trial attorney who represents individuals who are under investigation or charged with criminal offenses. From misdemeanor and traffic cases to the most serious of felonies, Megan practices in state, municipal, and federal court. Megan also handles related civil matters and has successfully assisted her clients with the Colorado Department of Health and Human Services, the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, the Liquor Licensing Authority, the Department of Motor Vehicles, various university student conduct boards, and the Department of Corrections parole board.

Prior to joining Recht Kornfeld, P.C. as an associate in 2013, Megan worked as a trial attorney in the Colorado State Public Defender’s Office. During her nearly eight years of experience in the Adams County and Grand Junction Regional Offices, Megan defended thousands of criminal cases. She has tried over 70 cases to verdict and has handled various appellate and post-conviction matters.

Megan completed her undergraduate degree at Colorado State University and her law degree at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. She received her law school’s highest academic distinction for graduating among the top of her class. Having won her first Not Guilty verdict while still a law student, the law school awarded Megan its Outstanding Student Lawyer Award for Criminal Representation.

Megan brings a wealth of trial and litigation experience to Recht Kornfeld and was made a shareholder in 2016. Understanding the incredible stress people and families face when dealing with a criminal accusation, Megan is driven by her compassion and advocacy for her clients. Megan believes that too often people are falsely accused of committing a crime and that many cases can be won prior to a charge being filed or prior to a case having to be tried in a courtroom. She has worked to secure countless outright dismissals for clients facing criminal charges and has frequently worked with law enforcement to avoid the filing of a criminal charge altogether.

Megan prides herself in a diverse caseload and appears in courtrooms all over the state. She has worked on numerous cases involving serious traffic charges such as vehicular homicide and vehicular assault, cases involving drug possession or alleged distribution, and cases involving allegations of domestic violence and child abuse both at the misdemeanor and felony level. She has tried cases ranging from Driving Under the Influence to Sexual Assault and First Degree Murder.

Megan is a member of the American Bar Association Section of Civil Rights and Social Justice where she serves as Committee Vice-Chair for the Section’s Committee on Criminal Justice, the Colorado Bar Association, the Denver Bar Association, the Colorado Women’s Bar Association, and the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar Association. Megan is a 2014 graduate of the CBA’s COBALT program (Leadership Training) and serves on COBALT’s Executive Committee. She routinely handles first amendment and other constitutional rights cases on behalf of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

Law Week Colorado recognized Megan as a 2015 “Compleat Lawyer” for the successful outcomes she secured on major cases, many of which she took on pro bono. Megan or her cases have also been featured in the Denver Post, the Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph, CNN, and Good Morning America.