Being a Dad Challenging and Fun for Leigh Sprague

Many people grow up thinking they want to have a family but never go through with it. Some people go through life never wanting to have kids and are content living their life on their own. Leigh Sprague always knew he eventually wanted to have kids. Now he is the proud father to a boy and girl.

Leigh Sprague realized early on that once you become a father, a lot changes. Your life isn’t just about you anymore. You have two people that rely on your income, your love, and your care in order to grow up and become good people themselves. It’s a difficult task to accomplish. Parenting always has been a difficult task throughout the ages.

For Leigh Sprague, it can be a challenge at times to balance his professional life with his parenting responsibilities. Being a successful lawyer who consults with numerous businesses and individuals makes for a very busy schedule. Leigh Sprague does everything he can to make sure that there is time every day set aside to spend with his boy and girl. They are the world to him and they can always make the stress of a busy day fade away when they are happy.

Leigh Sprague is looking forward to the day when his children are a bit older too. Not only will they be more independent, but they will start to express a great deal of interest in different aspects of life. School subjects, sports, technology, and much more are all great avenues of learning that he wants his kids to explore as soon as they have an interest in something.

Leigh Sprague hopes that one of both of his kids pick up biking, skiing, or snowmobiling once they are older as well. These three activities are some of Leigh Sprague’s favorite things to do. If his kids enjoy it as well, he sees the activities becoming a great bonding experience for them.

Leigh Sprague Is a Talented Attorney

Leigh Sprague has had a passion for learning for as long as he can remember. He was always a good student in school and he maintained that throughout his further educational opportunities. He attended the University of Wisconsin – Madison after completing high school.

At the University of Wisconsin – Madison, Leigh Sprague performed exceptionally. He was awarded the Joe Davies Scholarship, as well as a Hilldale Fellowship, during his time at the school. His hard work paid off as he was awarded dean’s list recognition throughout his time there. He also received distinction in his major by the time he had graduated.

These successes didn’t end at college though. Leigh Sprague felt compelled to continue his education and decided to pursue law school to great success. He attended the prestigious Columbia Law School in New York. The program was demanding but also incredibly beneficial for his future career.

Since graduating (and receiving recognition in Foreign and Comparative Law) Leigh Sprague has become a talented and skilled attorney. He has a great deal of experience consulting for companies and groups in a variety of topics. These include commercial contracts, transactions, international expansion, finance, IPOs, divestitures, and acquisitions among many other topics.

Leigh Sprague takes his consulting very seriously. He is proud of the career and experience he has built for himself, and is always improving his understanding of these complex areas of law. He has demonstrated time and time again the ability to support management, board members, and any other positions he works with during his consulting.

Additional areas of expertise for Leigh Sprague involve filing SEC reports, contracts, compliance regimes, dispute resolution, and general counsel work. Leigh Sprague loves his work as an attorney and works very hard to ensure his clients receive the best legal advice and counseling they can find.

 

Dewey & LeBoeuf: Leigh Sprague, Former Senior Associate

If you didn’t know Dewey & LeBoeuf, the enormous global law firm, before 2012, you almost certainly have heard of them by now. On May 28, 2012, Dewey & LeBoeuf announced that it would be filing for bankruptcy. The long suspected event was taking place at last. It wasn’t something that international corporate lawyer Leigh Sprague relished. But, he did breath a sigh of relief know that he had left the firm seven years earlier.

From 2001 to 2005, Leigh Sprague was a Senior Associate with Dewey LeBoeuf, which at the time was known as LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae. As a Senior Associate, Leigh Sprague handled some of the global law firm’s major accounts. He was involved with a number of complex financial transactions, including prominent and well-publicized restructurings.

However, some of Leigh Sprague’s biggest achievements with Dewey & LeBoeuf was in leading clients through multibillion dollar initial public offerings (IPOs) on NASDAQ and other international exchanges.

Today, he’s putting those international and financial skills to use as a consultant for Decision Insight Information Group, one of the best multinational data and software providers in the world. Working out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a lot’s changed for Leigh Sprague in the last few years. As a result of working demanding jobs in the States, Moscow, and elsewhere, Leigh Sprague is used to changes – quick changes.

Leigh Sprague believes that he learned to be so readily adaptable form his work with Dewey & LeBoeuf. The global law firm required its attorneys to take on cases that diversified their portfolios and tested them at their limits. After five years of working with Dewey & LeBoeuf, Leigh Sprague had learned more than many professionals learn in a lifetime. Today, he’s glad to have those long hours and even longer weeks behind him. For now, the consulting business with Decision Insight Information Group has his attention held.

Leigh Sprague of Rusal, EN+, Basic Element

These days, Leigh Sprague is hard at work as a consultant with Decision Insight Information Group in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The global risk management and due diligence solutions firm operates in the United States, Great Britain, Canada, and elsewhere.

Though Leigh Sprague has had a hand in consulting for years, this is the first time that he’s been a full-fledged consultant. Prior to taking this position, Leigh Sprague was Director of Department for Rusal where he also worked with affiliated companies EN+ and Basic Element.

Leigh Sprague was employed with Rusal from May 2007 to April 2011. He made the contacts for the job while already living in Moscow and working with CTC Media, a high growth NASDAQ-listed media and content company.

When Leigh Sprague found out about the job opening at Rusal, he leapt at the chance to put his background in international transactions and corporate law to good use. The average consumer may not be familiar with Rusal as a name, but it’s almost certain that you’re familiar with some of its products…

As the largest aluminum company in the world, Rusal is responsible for 9% of the world’s primary aluminum output and alumina production. In Russia alone, Rusal owns and operates two alumina refineries, six aluminum smelters, and two foil rolling mills.

Bloomberg named Rusal the top aluminum company of 2011, citing 4.127 billion metric tons in output, 298MM more metric tons than the second biggest aluminum producer, Rio Tinto Group. Leigh Sprague mainly enjoyed working with Rusal because of the interesting transactional work he was able to do. However, he also enjoyed working with such a large, powerful company.

Rusal was the biggest company Leigh Sprague had ever worked with. The only company on Leigh Sprague’s resume that could rival it in size is Dewey LeBoeuf the (now bankrupt) global law firm.

Consultant for Decision Insight Information Group: Leigh Sprague

Though Leigh Sprague has 12 years of experience as an international corporate finance lawyer, he’s currently trying something new and exciting, working as a Consultant for Decision Insight Information Group. Leigh Sprague took the position in December 2011 with the Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based group. Returning to work after moving back to the U.S. from Moscow was a tough transition, but one Leigh Sprague is glad he made.

Don’t let the Milwaukee headquarters deceive you. Decision Insight Information Group is a global company that helps brands in the United States, Canada, and in Europe. By using powerful technology and cutting edge software Leigh Sprague and other consultants at Decision Insight Information Group are able to help major global corporations solve their most pressing financial issues.

Decision Insight Information Group clients include DataQuick, Access Point Information Canada, Millar & Bryce, and Marshall & Swift/Boeckh (MSB).

Leigh Sprague’s international experience with Dewey & LeBoeuf, CTC Media, and Rusal helped provide him with the knowledge and skills needed to deliver outstanding consultation services at Decision Insight Information Group.

Leigh Sprague is currently based in Milwaukee and hopes that his work with Decision Insight Information Group will lead to further interesting transactions related to commercial transactions and licensing, particularly international licensing.  Sprague has worked in Russia and other countries in Eastern Europe throughout his 12+ years in corporate finance law.

Leigh Sprague has found through his networking skills and venerable reputation that working where he wants to work is easier than he used to ever think possible!

Currently, Leigh Sprague is enjoying his work with Decision Insight Information Group. He especially enjoys that the consultation work brings together two of his main skills: commercial law and international transaction work.

Leigh Sprague – International Corporate Law in Developing Countries

Leigh Sprague, currently a Consultant with Decision Insight Information Group, is a recognized expert in international corporate and commercial law in developing countries. Leigh Sprague currently works with a software and data provider where he continues to hone his expertise in complex legal transactions with a focus on software and data licensing and commercial transactions.

Leigh Sprague has enjoyed positions at Coudert Brothers (as an Associate), Dewey LeBoeuf (as a Senior Associate), CTC Media (General Counsel), and Rusal (Director of Department).

Many of these positions required Leigh Sprague to be on-site in foreign countries. His undergraduate and Columbia Law School professors certainly wouldn’t be surprised to hear that Leigh Sprague pursued international corporate law. As a student, Leigh Sprague was a Junior Fellow with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, in Moscow, Russia. He also participated in Washington, D.C. on a separate occasion.

As a law student at Columbia, Leigh Sprague was the Editor-in-Chief for Columbia’s Parker School Journal of East European Law. Also, he received the Parker School Recognition of Achievement in Foreign and Comparative Law. He also was awarded an Advanced Studies Certificate from Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs. Clearly, even at this time of his life, Leigh Sprague knew that he wanted to do something with international law.

Leigh Sprague loves international corporate law for two main reasons.

It gives him the chance to travel, speak different languages, and enjoy multicultural environments.

1. Leigh Sprague knows that by working in developing countries, he’s not just enjoying himself. He’s also helping better business – and thereby the greater quality of life – in foreign countries.

Though Leigh Sprague isn’t currently working with a law firm, his employer, Decision Insight Information Group, is a multi-national data and software provider that operates all over the world.

Living & Working Abroad With Leigh Sprague

Ask any friend, family member, or colleague to describe Leigh Sprague in just two words, and there are two words you’re likely to hear over and over again: international professional. Ever since he was a young undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Leigh Sprague has had an adventurous and hardworking spirit that’s shown a special passion for Russia and other developing markets.

While he was still a student, Leigh Sprague was a Junior Fellow with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. His fellowship allowed him to travel to Washington, D.C. and Moscow, Russia.

Also, while living abroad, Leigh Sprague has been able to push his writing skills to the limit. In the mid-1990s, shortly after the dissolution of the U.S.S.R., Leigh Sprague was a journalist for two English-language dailies. With the Soviet government recently dissolved, Moscow and other cities throughout Russia and East Europe were hungry for English-language papers. Leigh Sprague wrote for both The Baltic Observer and The Moscow Times.

However, Leigh Sprague’s primary profession is not as a writer. With a Columbia Law School education, Leigh Sprague has experience in international and corporate law, two specializations that have taken him far in life. From 2001 to 2005, Leigh Sprague was a Senior Associate with Dewey & LeBoeuf, a global law firm that had office headquarters in Moscow.

However, his international career really took off when he became General Counsel with Russia-based CTC Media, a NASDAQ-listed high growth media and content company that he helped take public. While living and working in Russia for CTC Media, Leigh Sprague then became Director of Department for Rusal and its major affiliated companies in Moscow.

These days, Leigh Sprague is doing consultant work for a leading software and data provider in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Decision Insight Information Group, with operations in the U.S. and abroad.

Leigh Sprague: 12+ Years Experience With Leading Law Firms

Leigh Sprague is a corporate transactional lawyer with an expertise in software and data licensing, international transactions, corporate governance and commercial transactions with more than 12 years of experience at leading law firms and in-house at prominent technology companies. After graduating from Columbia Law School in New York with honors, Leigh Sprague became an Associate at Coudert Brothers (1999). In 2000, he passed the New York State Bar Examination, and shortly thereafter, in 2001, became a Senior Associate with Dewey LeBoeuf.

In the world of international and corporate law, Dewey LeBoeuf was a highly regarded and respected institution. From 2001 to 2005, the years that Leigh Sprague was working with Dewey LeBoeuf, the firm was on top of the world. However, as many readers know, the global law firm recently filed for bankruptcy on May 28, 2012. Currently, the firm is working through the bankruptcy process, after which it will be entirely dissolved.

In 2005, Leigh Sprague left Dewey LeBoeuf to take a job as a General Counsel at CTC Media, a NASDAQ-listed high-growth media and content company. Leigh Sprague was able to put his consultation and strategic skills to excellent use, including through leading a number of strategic transactions and an IPO of the company on NASDAQ.

With experience in taking several companies public on NASDAQ and other exchanges, the experience of working for CTC Media was a joy for Leigh Sprague. His familiarity with the ’33 and ’34 Acts, SOX, Regulation FD and related filing requirements helped bolster his reputation throughout the organization and later on in his career.

While still working with CTC Media, Leigh Sprague took on a new role as Director of Department with Rusal, also based in Moscow, Russia. In this role, Leigh Sprague was able to provide further consulting services and legal advice to some of Russia’s (and the world’s) largest companies, including Rusal, EN+ and Basic Element.  While there he was responsible for the company’s successful IPO in Honk Kong and Paris as well as numerous high-level commercial transactions.

Today,  Leigh Sprague is a consultant with Decision Insight Information Group.

Leigh Sprague – Sustaining Member of NPR

As a finance and corporate law professional, Leigh Sprague has to be informed. Though his understanding of most international and political and business events runs much deeper than NPR coverage, he’s a big fan of National Public Radio.

For Leigh Sprague, NPR is a wonderful organization that’s worth supporting. That’s why he decided to become a sustaining member of National Public Radio in 2012. As a sustaining member, Leigh Sprague is a part of an auto-renewal membership program. This saves the station cash that’s otherwise spent on fundraising drives and appeals for renewal.

As someone with international experience (Sprague has lived and worked abroad several times in his career), being informed is paramount. Leigh Sprague loves NPR because he feels like he gets a well-rounded, unbiased report on the issues tat matter most in world politics. Of course, much of the news is U.S.-centric, which Leigh Sprague appreciates. But, Leigh Sprague believes that NPR does a better job than any other daily news reporting organization in the U.S. at reporting on foreign affairs. This is the main reason that inspired Leigh Sprague to become a sustaining member.

If you’re considering becoming a sustaining member of NPR, consider these thoughts from Leigh Sprague:

By being a NPR sustaining member, you’re helping keep alive a public radio network that’s over three decades old.

• In addition to bringing quality news reporting to the table, NPR is known for providing quality entertainment and cultural programming. Shows like “All Songs Considered” and “A Way With Words” are loved by millions of Americans at home and abroad.

In the past, NPR journalists have drawn public attention to important issues that have would have otherwise gone unreported. This commitment to integrity-backed journalism is something that shouldn’t die away from lack of financial support.

 

ACLU Member – Leigh Sprague

As an expert in international corporate law and international transactions, you might not expect Leigh Sprague to be a big supporter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). However, his membership and enduring support of the ACLU is a strong testament to his sense of dedication to justice and liberty and his commitment to democracy in the United States.

Because so much of Sprague’s work deals with law in developing countries, he’s become much more aware of civil liberties issues than the average American citizen. Also, after living abroad for several years, Leigh Sprague has seen firsthand how the freedoms of American citizens compare with those of other nations.

With a belief that Americans should fight to maintain those liberties, Leigh Sprague became a supporter and member of the American Civil Liberties Union. It’s not the first time that Leigh Sprague has been in a position to advocate freedom. As a student, he was a Junior Fellow with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in both Washington, D.C., and Moscow, Russia.

His experiences in Moscow in the mid-1990s, less than five years after the dissolution of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) especially highlighted civil liberty issues for Leigh Sprague. Of course, the ACLU doesn’t focus on foreign civil liberty cases. But, for Leigh Sprague, the experiences he had in Moscow inspired thoughts about civil liberty issues in the United States.

Today, Leigh Sprague’s work as a consultant with Decision Insight Information Group has virtually nothing to do with civil liberties. Working as a consultant for this leading multinational software and data provider, Leigh Sprague helps individuals and companies in a different way. However, he remains attached to important civil liberties issues through his membership in the American Civil Liberties Union.

If you care about your freedoms, Leigh Sprague urges you to become a member of the ACLU.