Adams and Reese Partner and former Executive Committee member Leslie Henry, and Laura Sillars, Chief Marketing Officer, have been selected among the 2022 "Women of the Year" by New Orleans CityBusiness. The publication recognizes 50 women from the area whose business successes and community contributions have made them movers and shakers in the region.
Honorees will be celebrated at an in-person event from 4-6 p.m. Monday, November 14, at the New Orleans Museum of Art. A special publication spotlighting all Women of the Year & Nonprofit Leaders honorees will run in the November 18 issue of CityBusiness.
Leslie Henry is a litigator and trial lawyer with a national practice advising oil and gas companies in toxic tort and environmental litigation. In more than 20 years of practicing law, she has tried cases in state and federal court, bench and jury trials, and has extensive appellate experience. Henry previously served as a member of the Executive Committee and led the firm's growth in toxic tort counsel in Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana.
In addition to her legal practice, Henry has been a competitive golfer for over 20 years. She recently won the 2022 World Amateur Golfers Championship National Final in Orlando, Florida, and will travel to Malaysia in November to compete in the World Final. The WAGC is the most prestigious amateur golf tournament in the world and is designed to give all amateur golfers the thrill & prestige of representing their nation in a global championship against players of similar skill levels.
Henry served as President of the Texas Golf Association, one of the largest and most respected golf associations in the U.S. Notably, she was the first woman to be elected an officer of the TGA in 2016.
Henry is active in several nonprofit and charitable organizations and events in New Orleans and Houston, including Adams and Reese's charitable service program HUGS, Dress for Success, Girls First, and Texas Golf Association.
She is an active member of the Defense Research Institute, Louisiana and Texas Association of Defense Counsel, Louisiana State Bar Association, and Houston Bar Association.
Sillars joined the firm in 2020 as Director of Marketing and Communications and was promoted to CMO in July this year. She has enjoyed a more than 30-year career in marketing and communications, with extensive experience conceiving, developing, and producing thought-leading content across multiple media platforms and business industries nationally and in the New Orleans area. At Adams and Reese, Sillars works closely with the Executive Committee, Practice Group, and Committee Leaders to develop and execute the firm's marketing and business development initiatives centered around its strategic planning efforts across Southeast, Denver, and D.C.
After graduating from Louisiana State University, Sillars began her career in television production. One of her most notable achievements includes having helped create and develop the concept of "Oprah's Book Club" while serving as Producer of the Oprah Winfrey Show in Chicago. She continued her career in television production with national networks, including ABC, HGTV, the Hallmark Channel, and more.
Before joining Adams and Reese, Sillars was V.P. Marketing Manager for IBERIABANK, where she led the marketing, public relations, lead generation, and the growth of the corporation's mortgage branch.
Sillars is an active member of the New Orleans community. She is a board member of the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts Foundation Board, a nearly 50-year-old organization that serves as Louisiana's arts conservatory for high school students.