Leslie Arsenault Metz

Leslie Arsenault Metz (JD, MBA) is the Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel at Dakota, where she brings her extensive expertise in law and business management to oversee both legal and operational strategies. Leslie is renowned for her strategic vision and commitment to excellence. Her dual role is instrumental in driving innovation, improving efficiencies, and fostering sustainable growth across all departments. With her strategic mindset and proactive leadership, Leslie is poised to lead Dakota towards a promising future, navigating the complexities of business growth and acquisitions with ease.

Her career began with a two-year clerkship at the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit of Florida, where she worked closely with judges and led the civil division for trial and appellate law clerks. In private practice, she focused on complex commercial litigation where she counseled clients on shareholder derivative claims, fraud, business disputes, trade secrets, and breach of fiduciary duty. Her achievements repeatedly earned her the recognition of Florida’s Super Lawyers “Rising Star”, and “Ones to Watch” by Best Lawyers in America. In 2023, the University of Florida, her alma mater from where she earned her bachelor’s degree in finance, juris doctor, and MBA, honored her with the distinction of “40 Gators Under 40.”

Leslie dedicates her time to her local community, serving with organizations that provide pro bono legal services, literacy resources, ethics guidance, and mental health services.

In her free time, Leslie enjoys attending sporting events of all kinds (especially Gator football!), going to concerts, traveling around the world, spending time with her crazy nieces and nephew, and on occasion, hiking Mount Kilimanjaro.

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