I truly enjoy working with my clients, many of whom I’ve represented for years and find it rewarding to help them by bringing clarity to their legal matters. It’s very important to first identify the key issues in disputes and then plot practical courses to get matters resolved to my clients’ satisfaction in the fastest and most effective ways. I’ve got a competitive nature, and I get satisfaction in securing the most optimal outcome for those I represent.
For more than four decades, Robert “Rob” Leslie has provided sage legal counsel and advocated for clients involved in large and complex heavy civil and other construction projects. With a practice that focuses on heavy and civil and larger building construction, he resolves disputes and guides contractors, owners and subcontractors and other clients through an array of public and private projects. They include concrete and steel bridges, highways, earth and rock-fill dams, water and wastewater treatment plants, pipelines, shafts and tunnels, railways, airfields and schools and other public buildings.
With an in-depth familiarity with his clients’ business and goals and the construction industry, Rob is always prepared to provide the exact type of help that’s needed when problems and opportunities arise. He takes a candid, straightforward approach and quickly cuts to the heart of matters. In both written and spoken communications, Rob uses clear, down-to-earth language.
Prior to joining Smith Currie, Rob was a partner in the construction law firms of Oles Morrison Rinker & Baker and before that McInerney & Dillon. Additionally, he spent more than ten years as an attorney for the U.S. Army, where his practice centered on government contract- and construction-related legal matters.
Honors and Awards
- Best Lawyers in America, Litigation-Construction, 2020 – present
- Northern California Super Lawyers, 2004 – present
- Who’s Who Legal California, 2009 – present
- Marquis Who’s Who in American Law
- The International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers, Construction
- Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent rating for more than 30 years
Professional Affiliations
- Forum on the Construction Industry and Public Contract Law Section, American Bar Association
- Legal Advisory Committee, AGC of California
- Member, American Society of Civil Engineers
- Member, The Beavers
- Member, The Dispute Resolution Board Foundation
- Arbitrator, American Arbitration Association
- Arbitrator, California Public Works Contract Arbitration Committee