In Leslie’s various roles, none equals the adrenaline, tension and rewards of opening or closing a law firm. Needless to say, the pressures associated with a deadline-driven launch or winding down of a business bring all sorts of issues to the foreground, from leases and furniture to IT equipment, revenue allocation – even the name of the firm itself.

In this world, you can’t be delicate or ambivalent. You need to be a fast-moving facilitator who can help (sometimes even push) principals to an educated point of decision making. Leslie keeps the firm on track, even when it seems like the wheels are coming off.

The day the calendar flips to the designated date, it’s amazing to see an enterprise either switch the lights on for the first time or off for the last. While there’s no sugar-coating the breakneck pace of these activities, having an assured and experienced veteran on hands calms the rough waters.