Lesley Wynes, J.D.

Lesley is an experienced leader with a passion for the development and training of professionals and the creation of seamless integration programs that enable professionals to become high-performing members of an organization.

As Thompson Coburn's Chief Legal Talent Officer, Lesley leads the Firm's efforts to recruit attorneys in all of its offices, from lateral partners to associates and counsel, and to the law students selected for Thompson Coburn's summer associate program.

Lesley leads a team of recruitment and professionals and collaborates with outside recruiters to identify candidates, guide them through the interview process, and determine whether a candidate is a professional and cultural match for Thompson Coburn. For lateral partners who accept an offer, Lesley serves as a key liaison between the partner and the multi-disciplinary administrative team that handles all logistics for a seamless partner transition, from conflicts checks and file transfer to billing and IT issues.

During and after their transition, Lesley works alongside new partners as they establish their practices, connect with mentors and advocates across the Firm, launch marketing and business development initiatives, and explore opportunities for new business and community leadership.

Before joining Thompson Coburn, Lesley served in a number of senior leadership roles at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management and Pritzker School of Law. Most recently she served as the Assistant Dean for Academic Experience at Kellogg, where she led a team responsible for the creation and delivery of customized tools, resources and support to enhance the academic experience of more than 3,000 graduate students across three campuses and multiple degree programs. Since 2004, she has served as a Clinical Assistant Professor, teaching courses in legal interpretation, communication and reasoning.

Lesley started her career as a private client attorney with two large Chicago law firms.