Leslie focuses her practice on commercial litigation and health care law. Leslie’s litigation practice encompasses a wide array of matters that include health care litigation, contractual claims, business torts, employment discrimination, banking laws, fraud, and administrative law. Leslie regularly represents clients in a wide variety of industries in both state and federal courts in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. She has successfully guided clients through all stages of proceedings, including dispositive motions, both jury and bench trials, and appellate proceedings
Leslie also has significant experience in representing health care clients before state and federal regulatory agencies, including in Change in Effective Control and Certificate of Need proceedings and throughout Hospital Conversions Act review. She also routinely guides health care providers in matters relating to Medicare and Medicaid, professional liability, and appeals of state and federal survey results. Leslie employs her extensive knowledge of the health care industry when representing providers and other entities in business disputes and before state and federal regulatory agencies.
As co-chair of the firm’s Cannabis Practice Group, Leslie also has significant experience in advising cannabis clients on the legal and regulatory framework relevant to conducting a legal cannabis business, including issues of licensing, litigation, and regulatory compliance.
Education
- Boston College Law School (J.D., 2010)
- University of Michigan (B.A., 2007)
Admissions
- Rhode Island
- Massachusetts
- U.S. District Court, District of Rhode Island
- U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
- Leslie has guided clients through multiple Hospital Conversion Act reviews. Significantly, she successfully represented the Transacting Parties in the Hospital Conversions Act review of a national health system’s change in ownership before the Rhode Island Department of Health and Rhode Island Office of Attorney General.
- Leslie obtained a complete defense verdict following a two week jury trial in the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island for a large financial institution in a lawsuit filed by a former employee alleging hostile work environment, quid pro quo harassment, and retaliation under both state and federal law.
- Leslie obtained summary judgment in favor of an international toy manufacturer on misappropriation of trade secret, breach of contract, and fraud claims and successfully defended the decision on appeal in the Rhode Island Supreme Court. Wild Horse Concepts, LLC v. Hasbro, Inc., 286 A.3d 848 (R.I. 2023)
- Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Leslie advised healthcare facilities and providers, as well as some of the largest Rhode Island employers, regarding COVID-19 regulatory and vaccine requirements.
- Leslie defended a major health care insurer in a lawsuit alleging tort claims and an antitrust conspiracy to prevent an out-of-state hospital system from entering Rhode Island.
- Leslie has obtained numerous successful results on behalf of nursing facilities appealing civil monetary penalties in both the informal dispute resolution process and before Administrative Law Judges.
- Leslie has successfully defended a national commercial bank in multiple cases brought by former employees asserting employment-based claims, including, but not limited to, actions for alleged retaliation, discrimination, and FMLA violations.
- Leslie won summary judgment for an international flooring manufacturer on claims by a distributor on unfair trade practices and tortious interference, among other claims, and also prevailed on summary judgment on the manufacturer’s counterclaims. (Named one of the Top 100 Most Important Decisions of 2017 by Rhode Island Lawyers Weekly).
- Leslie successfully defended a national commercial bank in an action alleging UCC and 93A violations related to account security allegations.
- Leslie regularly represents a quasi-public mortgage and housing agency in commercial and contract disputes in Rhode Island.
- Leslie assisted in successfully defending the certificate of need approval for a licensed organized ambulatory care facility providing radiation therapy services before the Rhode Island Superior Court and Rhode Island Supreme Court.
- Leslie and her colleagues represented three community behavioral health centers in successfully appealing the recoupment of significant government funding before an administrative hearing officer.
- Leslie has successfully defended health care providers in numerous regulatory and licensing proceedings.
- Leslie obtained summary judgment on behalf of one of the largest privately held companies in the United States on land use and environmental claims.
- USLAW NETWORK’s Virtual Retreat “Short Takes” Video, Cannabis Law for 2021 and beyond.
- Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Law and Social Justice (formerly known as the Boston College Third World Law Journal).
- “Putting Poverty in Museums: Strategies to Create the For-Profit Social Business,” 29 Boston College Third World Law Journal 357 (2009).
- Selected by her peers for inclusion in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® in the field of Health Care Law.
- 40 Under Forty, Providence Business News, 2022.
- Professional Excellence in the Law, Health Care, Rhode Island Monthly 2019 – 2023.
- Named Rhode Island Rising Star 2014 – 2020, by the publishers of Super Lawyers.
- Member, American Health Lawyers Association.
- Secretary, Rhode Island Chapter of the Federal Bar Association.
- Former Young Lawyers Committee Chair, Rhode Island Chapter of the Federal Bar Association.
- Fellow, Rhode Island Bar Foundation.
- Member, Rhode Island Bar Foundation.
- Member, Governor’s Insurance Council.
- Member, Board of Governors, Rhode Island Hospital Foundation.
- Leadership Rhode Island , Pi II Class (2020).
- Former Member, Generation Citizen New England Board.
- Chair, Rhode Island Chapter of the Boston College Law School Alumni Association.
- Former Board Member and Secretary, Women’s Center of Rhode Island.
- Former Committee Member, Crossroads Committee on Domestic Violence.
