Eli Leggett

Eli Leggett is a litigator on Strong & Hanni’s construction, aviation, and labor and employment teams. He defends businesses, public entities, and their insurers in civil litigation, with a focus on three areas: construction defect and contract disputes; employment, civil rights, and personal injury claims brought against counties and local governments; and FAA regulatory matters for aviation clients.

Eli came to Utah from the East Coast, and he practices like it. He tells clients what a case is worth and what it will take, gives partners and adjusters a straight answer instead of a hedge, and does not treat deadlines as a starting point for negotiation. Clients get a lawyer who moves quickly, writes clearly, and is comfortable being the one in the room who says the hard thing first.

He handles matters from first notice through trial and appeal, including pleadings, written discovery, depositions, dispositive motions, and appellate briefing before the Utah Court of Appeals. He also presents to the firm’s insurance carrier clients on developments in Utah law that affect how claims are evaluated and defended.

Before joining Strong & Hanni, Eli clerked for a labor law firm in Orlando, Florida, that represented major labor unions, and before that served as an appellate clerk for a Pennsylvania appellate court. Having helped build employment cases from the other side of the table, he knows how they are assembled, and where they come apart.

A Pennsylvania native, Eli came west for the mountains and stayed for the work. He currently lives in Salt Lake City and spends his weekends in the mountains and at Utah’s best restaurants.