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Overview

Leslie Packer is a client-oriented defense attorney who practices civil litigation with a focus on products liability including drugs and medical devices, medical malpractice, and high-end commercial litigation. She is one of Ellis & Winters founding members and served as the firm’s managing partner for 10 years. She is currently a member of the firm’s management committee.

For over three decades, Leslie has helped clients navigate disputes at the cutting edge of healthcare-product liability. She has been part of a regional and national trial team in the breast implant litigation, and her litigation practice primarily involves the representation of pharmaceutical companies, product manufacturers, health care practitioners and institutions, engineering companies and other businesses. She is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers.

Leslie was initially drawn to the practice of law due to the case variety. She is always looking for a new challenge, and in litigation, the facts of every case are always different and sometimes unexpected. Leslie has built her career working with complex litigation teams regionally and nationally.

Leslie is known for her serious, goal-driven approach to legal service. Every detail matters in litigation and she invests significant energy and resources towards understanding each client, its goals, the surrounding circumstances, and applicable law.

Leslie’s approach is fundamentally dynamic and centered around the client’s objectives. Depending on the case, Leslie may seek a pre-trial settlement or push aggressively for trial. Given the diverse possibilities explored over the course of litigation, understanding key client goals is core to Leslie’s practice.

Leslie’s commitment to community involvement reflects her service-oriented approach to legal representation. Over the decades, Leslie has contributed substantially to the betterment of underserved communities. In the late 90s, when the Special Olympics World Games came to Raleigh, Leslie was recruited to perform the legal work for the 1999 Games on a pro bono basis, and to serve on the Board of the 1999 World Games. This experience was so rewarding that she has continued to work on behalf of Special Olympics North Carolina since that time. She is extremely proud to assist an organization that provides such meaningful opportunities to these extraordinary athletes. 

Leslie has also contributed to the legal community itself, providing presentations on Daubert, trial skills, company documents, and other topics for organizations such as the North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys, the Defense Research Institute, the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel, the North Carolina Bar Association, the North Carolina Chapter of the American College of Trial Lawyers, and the National Institute for Trial Advocacy. She received the 2009 Andrew C. Hecker Award, honoring the best article published in the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel Quarterly, for “Admitting We’re Litigating in the Digital Age: A Practical Overview of Issues of Admissibility in the Technological Courtroom.”

Leslie obtained her undergraduate degree from Brown University and her J.D. from the University of North Carolina where she was a Morehead Law Fellow. Leslie was a member of the Order of the Coif and served as Research Editor of the North Carolina Law Review. She has served as the President of the Raleigh Professional Women’s Forum and as Secretary of the 1999 Special Olympics World Summer Games. She has also served as the chair for the Board of Special Olympics North Carolina and as the President of the UNC Law Alumni Association.

Leslie is proud to have completed the New York Marathon in 2004, the Virginia Beach Marathon in 2006 and the Chicago Marathon in 2007.

Credentials

Education

  • J.D., University of North Carolina School of Law, 1986
    • High Honors; Order of the Coif 
    • Law Review: North Carolina Law Review, Research Editor, 1985-1986
  • A.B., Brown University, 1982
    • Magna cum laude
    • Honors in Anthropology
    • Phi Beta Kappa

Court Admissions

  • State Bar
    • North Carolina
  • U.S. District Courts
    • Eastern District of North Carolina
    • Middle District of North Carolina
    • Western District of North Carolina
  • U.S. Court of Appeals
    • Fourth Circuit
  • United States Supreme Court

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • International Academy of Trial Lawyers, 2022-present
  • American College of Trial Lawyers, 2007-present
  • North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys
    • Board of Directors, 2020-2023
    • Chair, Awards Committee, 2020-2023
    • President, 2006-2007
  • American Board of Trial Advocates
    • President, Eastern North Carolina Chapter, 2019
    • President-Elect, Eastern North Carolina Chapter, 2018
    • Treasurer, Eastern North Carolina Chapter, 2017
  • International Society of Barristers
    • Board of Directors, 2019-present
    • Board of Directors, ISOB Foundation, 2018
    • North American Fellow
  • Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel
    • Board of Directors, 2012-2016
    • Corporate Counsel Committee Co-Chair, 2012-2013
    • Drug, Device and Biotechnology Section, Chair, 2006-2007
  • National Foundation for Judicial Excellence
    • Past Vice-Chair of Program Planning Committee
    • Past Board and Executive Committee member
    • Program Chair, 2013 Symposium
  • Defense Research Institute
  • North Carolina Bar Association
    • Tort Issues Task Force, 2009-2010
  • University of North Carolina Law Alumni Association
    • President, 2014-2015
    • Vice President, 2013-2014
    • Second Vice President, 2012-2013
  • Special Olympics North Carolina
    • Board of Directors Chairwoman, 2000-2006, 2016-2017
    • Board of Directors, 2000-2006, 2013-2018, 2020-Present
    • General Counsel and Board Secretary, 1997-2000, for the 1999 Special Olympics World Summer Games held in North Carolina
    • Finance Committee, 2018 – present

Presentations/Publications

Presentations

  • Recent Decisions of Relevance from the North Carolina Appellate Courts Decided between May 15, 2023 and September 19, 2023 – Co-Presenter, North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys, October 6, 2023
  • Recent Decisions of Relevance from the North Carolina Appellate Courts Decided between September 6, 2022 and May 15, 2023 – NCADA 2023 Annual Meeting, June 9, 2023
  • American College of Trial Lawyers NC and SC Fellows Meeting Recent Decisions of Relevance, February 11, 2023
  • Recent Decisions of Relevance from the North Carolina Appellate Courts Decided from September 2, 2021 to May 17, 2022 – NCADA 2022 Annual Meeting, June 17, 2022
  • American College of Trial Lawyers NC Annual Meeting Recent Decisions of Relevance, March 18, 2022
  • Top 20 of 2020 Decisions of Relevance from the North Carolina Appellate Courts, NCADA Winter Workshop, February 5, 2021
  • Women in Leadership: Tips from the Trenches, Managing Partner Forum, February 3, 2021
  • Recent Decisions Case Law Update, N.C. Association of Defense Attorneys, June 22, 2020
  • How COVID-19 is Impacting our Practice and Firms, N.C. Association of Defense Attorneys, April 15, 2020
  • Overview of Opinions of the North Carolina Appellate Courts Decided between September 19, 2017, and May 15, 2018, 2018 NCADA Annual Meeting, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, June 15, 2018
  • Recent Decisions of Relevance, American College of Trial Lawyers North Carolina 2018 Annual Meeting, Charleston, South Carolina, March 16, 2018
  • Cross-Examination of the Plaintiff’s Expert, ADTA, Nashville, Tennessee, April 20, 2017
  • Recent Decisions of Relevance, North Carolina Chapter of the American College of Trial Lawyers, Spring Meeting, March 2017
  • To-Do or Not to Do: The Top Ten Things Not to Do on Cross-Examination, DRI Women in the Law Seminar, Miami, Florida, March 15, 2013
  • Preparing Your Client for Cross-Examination, DRI Women in the Law Seminar, Miami, Florida, March 14, 2013
  • Annual Update on Recent Decisions, American College of Trial Lawyers North Carolina 2012 Annual Meeting, Charleston, South Carolina, March 22-25, 2012
  • Recent Decisions of Relevance, NCADA 2012 Fall Seminar & Judicial Candidates’ Forum, Greensboro, North Carolina, September 28, 2012
  • Getting to Know Daubert: Best Practices in Evidentiary Motions (with The Honorable Thomas D. Schroeder, M.D.N.C.), 2012 NCBA Bench & Bar Seminar View From the Bench, Greensboro, North Carolina December 13, 2012
  • Served on panel at FDCC 2012 Winter Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, program titled The Best iPad Apps for Lawyers
  • Presentation of Recent Decisions of Relevance at the 2011 North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys Annual Meeting
  • Early Case Assessment, FDCC, Munich, Germany, July 2010
  • Negotiation, Strategy and Ethics (panelist) — 2009 Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel, Kauai, Hawaii, February 25, 2009
  • Lights, Action, Cameras — Technology in the Courtroom — 2008 Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel Winter Meeting, Grand Bahama Island, February 24, 2008
  • “Bad” Corporate Documents — How to Minimize Their Impact at Trial. Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia 25th Annual Meeting; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, June 19, 2007
  • Pretrial Discovery: Strategies and Tips, American College of Trial Lawyers Litigation Skills Program, University of North Carolina School of Government, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, June 8, 2007
  • Pound Civil Justice Institute — Served on panel as defense representative regarding Daubert, Frye and the States: Thoughts on Choice of a Standard, Seattle, Washington, 2006
  • Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel Litigation Management College (presenter), Atlanta, Georgia, 2006
  • Expert Testimony Following Howerton v. Arai Helmet Ltd., North Carolina Bar Foundation Litigation Section Annual Meeting, Asheville, North Carolina, June 2005
  • Defending Claims for Psychological Damages as Part of a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit, Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel, Marco Island, Florida, March 2005
  • Litigation Skills for Public Interest and Public Section Lawyers, Examination and Cross-Examination of a Psychologist/Doctor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, sponsored by the American College of Trial Lawyers, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, November 2004
  • Handling “Bad” Company Documents: Preventing Admission at Trial Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel Pharmaceutical Section, Chesapeake, Maryland, July 2004
  • Handling “Bad” Company Documents: Preventing Admission at Trial North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys Annual Meeting, Hilton Head, South Carolina, June 2004
  • All-Star Trial of a Business Case, Litigation Section Annual Meeting, presented by the North Carolina Bar Association Foundation CLE, Greensboro, North Carolina, May 2004
  • Introduction to Daubert North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys Young Lawyers Seminar, Greensboro, North Carolina, September 2003
  • Daubert Challenges to Expert Testimony in Federal Court, Defense Research Institute Mid-Atlantic Regional Meeting, Charlottesville, Virginia, April 2003
  • National Institute for Trial Advocacy “Building Trial Skills,” University of North Carolina School of Law Chapel Hill, North Carolina, May 2000
  • Practical Aspects of Daubert Challenges, sponsored by North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys, Hilton Head, South Carolina, April 2000
  • North Carolina Products Liability Law, sponsored by Wake Forest University School of Law, Raleigh, North Carolina, February 2000

Publications

 

Awards/Recognition

  • Who’s Who Legal (WWL): Life Sciences 2023, Highest Ranking Life Sciences Lawyers (2023)
  • Business North Carolina’s Power List (2021)
  • North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys: J. Robert Elster Award for Professional Excellence (2017)
  • Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, “Leader in the Field” for Litigation: Healthcare & Medical Malpractice (2009-2021)
  • Benchmark Litigation
    • North Carolina Litigation Star (2012-2024)
    • Top 250 Women in Litigation, Nationally (2012, 2016-2024)
  • The Best Lawyers in America®, Health Care Litigation; Personal Injury Litigation-Defendants; Product Liability Litigation-Defendants (2003-2025)
    • Raleigh “Lawyer of the Year” for Litigation-Health Care (2016)
    • Raleigh “Lawyer of the Year” for Product Liability Litigation Defense (2013, 2018, 2024)
  • International Who’s Who of Product Liability Defence Lawyers (2014-2024)
  • Business North Carolina Magazine, Legal Elite, Litigation (2005-2014, 2019-2021, 2023, 2024)
  • North Carolina Super Lawyers Magazine, Civil Litigation, Personal Injury – Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury – Products (2006-2024)
    • “Top 10 Super Lawyers in North Carolina” (2015-2024), Rated the Number Two Attorney in North Carolina (2024)
    • “Top 25 Super Lawyers in Raleigh” (2013-2024)
    • “Top 50 Women in North Carolina” (2006-2024)
    • “Top 100 Super Lawyers in North Carolina” (2006-2024)
  • Andrew C. Hecker Award (2009)
  • Triangle Business Journal, “Women in Business” Award (1999)
  • North Carolina Lawyers Weekly, “Women of Justice” Award (2013)
  • Peer Review Rating of AV® in Martindale-Hubbell