Leslie’s father enlisted her to file medical charts, answer phones, and disinfect patient rooms when she turned sixteen. She immediately knew the medical field was not for her, especially after seeing her father’s powerless frustrations defending himself during a medical malpractice lawsuit. The legal process of that lawsuit and the filing of her income tax returns intrigued her. Leslie decided to study law and taxation.
She is an invaluable resource on trust accounting, estate and gift taxation; estate tax audits; and tax compliance for individuals, trusts, and estates. Leslie began her career with several years in the tax department of a national accounting firm. Her experience makes her a deep and practical tax practitioner. Leslie is adept at breaking down complex tax matters to make them easy to understand.
Leslie became an intern in John O’Grady’s office while pursuing her master’s degree in taxation. She continued collaborating with John on tax projects upon completion of the internship. After Leslie’s first child’s birth, she wanted to continue working alongside John, and she also wanted greater flexibility in her schedule. John, fully supportive, has continued to count on Leslie for tax counsel. Leslie regards John as a lifelong mentor.
Leslie earned her JD from the South Texas College of Law and her LLM (Taxation) from Golden Gate University. She also holds an MBA (Accounting and Taxation) and a BBA (Finance) from the University of Houston. Leslie has served as the Chair for the Estate Planning, Probate, and Trust Section of the Bar Association of San Francisco and as a professor of federal estate tax at Golden Gate University.