Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Languages
References
Interests
Quote
Work Preference
Work Availability
Affiliations
Software
Timeline
Generic
Lesley J. Budzinski

Lesley J. Budzinski

Legal Professional
Northbrook,IL

Summary

Accomplished Lead Paralegal and Legal Operations Leader with over 26 years of experience managing complex litigation and regulatory matters across corporate, commercial, and intellectual property law. Proven track record of leading high-performing paralegal teams, streamlining workflows, and driving strategic initiatives that improve compliance, reduce legal spend, and increase operational efficiency. Adept at leveraging cutting-edge legal technology, to support large-scale discovery, case management, and legal research. Experienced in mentoring junior staff, managing teams and integrating automation tools, and aligning legal support with organizational goals. Recognized for sound judgment, strong leadership, and a solutions-focused approach in fast-paced, high-stakes environments.

Overview

24
24
years of professional experience

Work History

Lead Paralegal

Walgreens Boots Alliance
Deerfield
12.2011 - Current
  • Achieved over $1M in cost savings through strategic tech implementation, including document management and e-filing systems.
  • Reduced outside counsel costs by 35% via process improvements, vendor negotiations, and use of internal resources.
  • Provided strategic leadership on high-profile legal matters (e.g., commercial litigation, IP, antitrust, class actions, product liability, real estate, regulatory).
  • Spearheaded case management, discovery, and legal hold processes, ensuring compliance and mitigating risk.
  • Led subpoena team, optimizing response workflows and enhancing legal compliance.
  • Conducted legal research and case strategy analysis to support litigation and regulatory efforts.
  • Managed and developed a team of 15+ paralegals across litigation, IP, regulatory, and corporate functions.
  • Promoted professional growth and maintained high-quality output through active mentorship and leadership.
  • Collaborated cross-functionally with legal, compliance, and business teams to align legal initiatives with corporate strategy.

Litigation Paralegal II

Latham & Watkins
Chicago, IL
12.2005 - 11.2011
  • Managed over 500 complex litigation cases from inception to resolution.
  • Oversaw e-discovery and document production for efficient data collection.
  • Led trial teams of 5–7, coordinating evidence and motions.
  • Supported attorneys during trials, depositions, hearings, and mediations.
  • Conducted legal research and analysis to inform case strategy.
  • Supervised and mentored 10 junior paralegals to enhance performance.
  • Streamlined workflows to improve efficiency in trial preparation.

Paralegal

Jones Day
Chicago, IL
06.2001 - 12.2005
  • Managed over 1,000 exhibits and data sets for 50 complex commercial litigation cases, ensuring accuracy and timely access.
  • Organized litigation databases in Relativity, enhancing document retrieval efficiency by 40%.
  • Created custom fields to support more than 20 legal reviewers and streamline workflows.
  • Drafted, edited, and cite-checked 100 legal documents with high precision.
  • Developed deadline-tracking systems that reduced missed deadlines by 90% and improved task prioritization.

Education

B.A. - Political Science, Communications

DePaul University
01.1998

Skills

Legal Technology & Research Tools

  • Advanced legal research: Westlaw Edge, Lexis, Bloomberg Law

E-Discovery & Data Management

  • E-discovery platforms: Relativity, Exterro

Leadership & Strategic Operations

  • Led legal teams and streamlined workflows to align with business goals

Languages

Polish
Full Professional
Spanish
Elementary

References

References available upon request.

Interests

Fitness

Travel

Real Estate

Quote

Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.
Michael Jordan

Work Preference

Work Type

Full Time

Work Location

HybridRemote

Important To Me

Career advancementWork-life balanceCompany CultureHealthcare benefitsPaid time offStock Options / Equity / Profit Sharing401k matchPaid sick leavePersonal development programsWork from home option

Work Availability

monday
tuesday
wednesday
thursday
friday
saturday
sunday
morning
afternoon
evening
swipe to browse

Affiliations

  • Illinois Paralegal Association (IPA)
  • National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA)

Software

Microsoft Outlook

Excel

RelativityOne

Zapproved

Exterro

IPRO

Oracle

Bloomberg Law

Westlaw/LexisNexis

Timeline

Lead Paralegal

Walgreens Boots Alliance
12.2011 - Current

Litigation Paralegal II

Latham & Watkins
12.2005 - 11.2011

Paralegal

Jones Day
06.2001 - 12.2005

B.A. - Political Science, Communications

DePaul University

Similar Profiles

CREATE PROFILE
Lesley J. BudzinskiLegal Professional