Melissa Eakle Leasure

By Cathy Bonnstetter

While other 7-year-olds were dreaming about knocking the cover off a baseball for their professional team, landing on Mars or performing the perfect plié, Melissa Eakle Leasure, chief legal officer at Marshall Health Network, Inc., daydreamed about life as an attorney.

“I’ve known I wanted to be a lawyer since I was in second grade,” she says.

Although it would seem this single mindedness of purpose came from parents who were involved in the legal profession, that was not the case. Leasure says her parents influenced her in a multitude of different ways.

“I grew up in Huntington as the youngest of five children,” she says. “My dad was the executive director of Green Acres Regional Center, and my mom was a special education teacher. Both of my parents dedicated their careers to supporting
individuals with special needs, and that commitment to serving others was a big influence on me growing up.”

Leasure’s work has changed the health care landscape in and around Huntington, allowing hospitals to grow and multiply their impact.

“I have played a key role in some of the most significant health care transactions in West Virginia, particularly those involving the growth and evolution of Marshall Health Network,” Leasure says. “While serving as outside counsel to Cabell Huntington Hospital, I was part of the legal team involved in its successful acquisition of St. Mary’s Medical Center. I also helped defend the transaction against a challenge by the Federal Trade Commission.”

As an outside counsel, Leasure helped Marshall Health Network grow a second time when Cabell Huntington Hospital acquired Pleasant Valley Hospital, Inc. In 2023, she joined Marshall Health Network as chief legal officer.

“One of the most unique aspects of my career has been the opportunity to serve the health system from both the outside counsel and in-house counsel perspectives,” Leasure says. “That experience allowed me to guide and impact the growth and development of the system in different ways over the course of my career.”

Leasure started her legal career at a boutique law firm: Bailes, Craig & Sellards, PLLC. The firm had both strong corporate and health care arms. Leasure worked there for nearly 17 years.

“I always knew I wanted to practice corporate law,” Leasure says. “The senior partner believed a lawyer needed to be able to handle anything that came through the door, so early in my career I worked on a variety of matters, including health care-related issues. As the health care practice continued to grow, I found myself growing with it.”

As she repeatedly dabbled in the health care sector at the firm, she found her home run, perfect plié feeling.

“I enjoyed both the work and the people I was fortunate enough to work alongside,” she says. “Health care is a highly regulated and constantly evolving industry, which makes the work both intellectually challenging and rewarding. I am inspired by the people I work with every day. Health care professionals are dedicated, resilient and deeply committed to caring for others, often under difficult circumstances. Watching that level of commitment motivates me to do my part to help support Marshall Health Network.”

Leasure completed her education in the Mountain State, graduating from West Virginia Wesleyan with a double major in political science and history. In 2006, she graduated from West Virginia University College of Law. It would seem she was born to practice law, but that did not mean law school was a breeze.

“I remember the challenge of adjusting to the expectations of the professors in law school and the style of teaching,” Leasure recalls. “Learning to think and analyze issues the way law professors expected was one of the biggest transitions from my undergraduate years.”

One of the perks from all Leasure’s hard work was the people she met along the way. Leasure says she enjoyed law school, and the friendships she made there are the kind that last throughout the years. In fact, those friendships have lasted throughout her career.

The late Jim Bailes, founding partner at Bailes, Craig & Sellards, PLLC, heads that list of significant friendships and mentors.

“Jim had incredibly high expectations, and he pushed me to meet them. He challenged me to think critically, sharpen my judgment and approach problems from every angle. He mentored me every single day,” she says. “Over time, his mentorship helped shape me into someone trusted to handle complex and high stakes matters.”

Leasure also works to help other lawyers and health care professionals sharpen their skills.

“I have had the privilege of mentoring not only young lawyers but also supporting staff throughout my career,” she says. “Watching someone grow in confidence, develop new skills and ultimately become successful in their role is incredibly rewarding. Early in my career, I benefited from people who were willing to teach and support me, so I value the opportunity to do the same for others.”

Leasure chose to make her professional impact right in her Huntington hometown. Today, she and her husband, Jason, a member at the law firm of Leasure Oliver, PLLC, live not far from her childhood home. Their 13-year-old daughter, Maisie Scout, is already showing interest in one day joining her father at his law firm. This family of current and future lawyers is proud of its community and state.

“I live and work in West Virginia because it is a wonderful place to raise a family,” Leasure says. “I appreciate the balance of professional opportunity, community connection and quality of life that West Virginia offers. I enjoy the familiarity of the community of Huntington and being close to family.”

She says anyone raised in Huntington naturally bleeds green, and all residents, regardless of their alumni status, feel the sense of pride and community involvement Marshall University brings to the area.

However, this hard-working and successful Mountain State lawyer has her sights set on some fun outside the West Virginia hills as well.

“I have yet to accomplish this, but I am working toward visiting all the Disney parks around the world,” she says.