Jeff T. Leslie

Clients turn to Jeff for practical, results-driven counsel on all aspects of occupational safety and health law and employment matters. He advises and represents employers across multiple industries—including manufacturing, construction, maritime, health, restaurant, and hospitality—throughout the United States. With management and workplace experience in the public sector, Jeff understands both the legal and practical issues confronting employers and provides solution-oriented strategies that further his clients’ business interests and goals.

Jeff is known for his strategic thinking and results-driven approach, guiding employers through complex and high-stakes OSHA matters, including catastrophic and fatality accidents, with a focus on practical solutions that protect their business interests. He handles occupational safety and health issues through all stages of workplace safety incidents, including OSHA inspections and citations, investigations, contesting citations, and litigation through trial. Jeff has handled multiple OSHA trials across jurisdictions for clients and regularly litigates before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC) and State Plan jurisdictions. He also assists employers with developing, implementing, and auditing workplace safety programs and provides practical guidance on compliance and risk-management strategies.

Jeff also represents clients in OSHA whistleblower matters under a broad range of statutes, including the OSH Act, Food Safety Modernization Act, Surface Transportation Assistance Act and many others.

He also focuses his practice on matters impacting employers under federal and state labor and employment laws, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). He has significant experience representing employers in both federal and state courts and before government agencies, including the EEOC and DOL, on a wide range of issues such as allegations of discrimination, retaliation, harassment, and other state and federal employment claims.

A recognized thought leader in workplace safety and OSHA compliance, Jeff is a frequent speaker on best practices in handling OSHA inspections and citations and is a member of several local and national industry groups focused on safety and innovation, including American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP).

He received his law degree from SMU Dedman School of Law, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the SMU Science & Technology Law Review.