Leslie A. Dent

Leslie Dent is an experienced trial lawyer who has successfully tried cases ranging from individual discrimination matters to complex wage and hour class actions. She represents employers in class and collective actions involving off-the-clock claims, challenges to exempt status and other wage-related claims, as well as Rule 23 class actions alleging discrimination claims.

Leslie counsels and represents employers on a broad range of employment law issues, including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and leave laws. She has extensive experience conducting and supervising internal investigations and defending whistleblower and retaliation claims, including Dodd Frank and False Claims Act claims.

For the past decade, Leslie has been ranked among the top employment attorneys in the state of Georgia by Chambers USA, which quotes clients who characterize her as “exceptional,” “ a strong strategist,” and “an extremely bright, terrific trial lawyer.”

Some of her representative matters include:

• Won a crucial defense verdict for a Fortune 50 company as co-counsel in a rare three-week wage and hour class action jury trial in federal court. After seven hours of deliberations, the ten person federal jury found that the employers’ first-level supervisors of technicians were exempt from overtime under federal and state law.
• Secured defense verdicts as lead counsel for employers in jury trials involving allegations of race and gender discrimination, hostile work environment and sexual harassment, disability discrimination and retaliation.
• Successfully defended off-the-clock and exempt status collective action and class action claims in multiple industries and achieved low cost settlements and favorable outcomes for employers. In addition, she defeated conditional certification on all or some of the alleged claims.

Leslie’s clients include nationwide telecommunications companies, leading healthcare technology firms, retail merchandisers, airlines, restaurant chains, financial institutions and manufacturers.