Leslie’s practice focuses on counseling emerging ventures, sustainable businesses and established private companies with respect to private equity and debt financing and mergers and acquisitions. She also advises emerging and private companies in connection with corporate formation, strategic contracts, technology licensing, and corporate governance. Leslie assists venture capital, private equity and real estate funds and angel investors with respect to fund formation and restructuring and investment activities. Leslie also reviews and negotiates primary and secondary investments in private equity, real estate, mezzanine debt and a variety of other investment funds on behalf of some of the largest institutional investors in California. She is experienced in commercial real estate acquisitions, sales, financing and leasing transactions.
Leslie has a special affinity for, and expertise in, assisting social entrepreneurs and investors in forming and funding sustainable businesses. She has assisted some of the leading investors in this space, including Good Capital / Social Enterprise Expansion Fund. On a more personal level, Leslie volunteers as Co-Chair of the Global Economic Opportunity Circle at Full Circle Fund, which works closely with nonprofits doing innovative work on global economic issues. She regularly provides assistance to low-income entrepreneurs at a monthly Legal Office Hours clinic co-hosted by Hanson Bridgett LLP, Urban Solutions, and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights’ Legal Services for Entrepreneurs program. Leslie also assists La Cocina, a low-income food entrepreneur incubator, on a pro bono basis.
Representative Work
Represented security alarm monitoring company with respect to its corporate reorganization, renegotiation of $40 million secured credit facility and $20 million initial public offering on the NASDAQ Capital Market (withdrawn)
Provided on-site strategic and transactional support during a six-month engagement with a publicly held Bay Area corporation listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market composite
Assisted with the close of a $40 million real estate construction loan, including drafting and negotiating related agreements for the property developer, manager, previous owner and adjoining property owners
While working in-house at a publicly-traded staffing services corporation, closed approximately 600 independent high-revenue deals for the recruiting sales team during a year of continuous record growth with revenues exceeding $1 billion per quarter
While working in-house at a publicly-traded provider of software and hardware systems to Fortune 100 customers, drafted, reviewed, and negotiated approximately 300 transactional and master implementation services agreements in a time-sensitive, sales-driven environment
Publications
"Hanson Bridgett's Legal Corner: The November 2nd Battle," Green Chamber of Commerce (October 2010)
"Proposed Changes to the Accredited Investor Rules and State Regulation of Private Investments," Business Brief (January 2010)
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Presentations
"Term Sheets and Convertible Notes: Structuring the Deal," Investors' Circle Spring 2013 Venture Fair and Forum (May 2013)
"Legal Basics for Start-ups," HUB Ventures (July 2012)
"The Benefit Corp Revolution: What it Means for Businesses, Non-Profits and You," HB & Full Circle Fund Seminar (February 2012)
"SF Small Business Commission & Small Business California – B Corp & Benefit Corp," Hub San Francisco (February 2012)
"So You Want to Become a Benefit Corporation... Now What?," Sustainable Business Forum (January 2012)
"Business Law Basics, Small Business Administration," on behalf of Legal Services for Entrepreneurs / Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights (August 2011)
"Effective Representation of Pro Bono Business Clients: Helping Low-Income Small Businesses Succeed," Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights (February 2011)
"Business Law Basics, Small Business Administration," on behalf of Legal Services for Entrepreneurs / Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights (January 2011)
"Know Your Rights When Doing Business, Women Connected," on behalf of Legal Services for Entrepreneurs / Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights (July 2010)
"Client Contracts and Business Negotiation for Entrepreneurs," co-presenter, Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center, on behalf of Legal Services for Entrepreneurs / Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights (March 2010)
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Honors
James T. Caleshu Award, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights (2012)