About Us

Over 85 Years of Proven Hands-On Experience

Our professionals are not only experts in various specialties; we also understand the challenges of actually running a business. We certainly have many years of hands-on experience in developing and successfully implementing state-of-the-art operational programs of every description and size. What is equally important to owners and managers, Growthport Partners, Inc.’s principals are all veteran CEO’s and senior level executives with track records of actually making these programs work in everything from startups to “Fortune 50” companies.

Leslie Gray
Chief Executive Officer

Leslie Gray brings to GrowthPort Partners, Inc. over 28 years of diverse experience in senior corporate human resources management and consulting, organizational development, employee benefits, risk management and entrepreneurial experience.

Leslie’s management experience includes twelve years as Director of Human Resources for two Southern-California based law firms, one, a spin-off from Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, and another spin-off from Buchanan Ingersoll, et. al., in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.Leslie functioned as Director of Training and Development, employee benefits, safety and facilities management and was integral in leasing and contract negotiations and firm expansion.

In addition to being the acting Director of Human Resources, Leslie simultaneously consulted in the position of Senior Associate for an environmental compliance firm in the Inland Empire wherefrom she gained great exposure and training in comprehensive risk management and Cal/OSHA health and safety compliance. In this capacity, Leslie traveled extensively and conducted onsite environmental and health and safety inspections for Fortune 50 companies based throughout the State of California. Leslie lead several strategic teams in hazard abatement and compliance updates at these facilities while she interfaced directly with public agencies on issues surrounding air quality (both EPA and AQMD) and waste management under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Leslie worked closely with clients to protect against the hazards of waste disposal, in conserving energy and natural resources by recycling and recovery and proper clean up of waste that may have spilled, leaked, or been improperly disposed.

Following her passion in consulting, Leslie was hired on as Vice President of the Risk Management Division of ManagEase, Incorporated, a human resources outsourcing firm in Orange, California. In addition to acting as Senior Human Resources Consultant and Project Manager, Leslie single-handedly developed and managed, a profitable employee benefits and risk management division including the creation and implementation of various compliance plans and training modules. Leslie was frequently engaged by firm clientele as an expert witness in the areas of wage and hour issues, employee benefits and policy interpretation. This development and success increased the company’s profitability and Leslie departed to start her own consulting firm.

Leslie also founded Innovative Business Strategies, LLC (“IBS”), a Southern California based business-consulting firm that offered expert witness, employee benefits, risk management, compliance and human resource infrastructure and support services to its clientele in 2001. IBS became quite successful after its first year of operations and two of its divisions merged in 2003 with Human Capital Co-Op, LLC (“HCC”) of which Leslie was a principal and co-founder. This organization also proved successful leading to its acquisition by the Employers Group in 2005, and Leslie serving as its Vice President of Consulting.

Leslie holds multiple state professional licenses in life and disability insurance and securities, (Series 6 and 63), is a Certified Safety Specialist and holds a Masters Certification in Environmental Health and Safety. Leslie attended the University of Pittsburgh School of Business Administration and is also a certified Paralegal.

P. Anthony Burnham, Esq
President &
Employment Counsel

P. Anthony Burnham, Esq. brings to GrowthPort Partners, Inc. (GrowthPort) and its clients over 40 years of solid preventive and traditional labor and employment law, litigation, senior corporate human resources management, training, organizational development, and entrepreneurial experience.

Since joining GrowthPort Partners, Inc., P. Anthony Burnham, Esq.,’s primary focus has been to help clients effectively manage organizational change and avoid employment-related problems inherent in the changing and competitive workplace.

He has developed a client-specific, user friendly set of management “tools”, including: employment practices audits; change management procedures; selection, performance management and termination processes; H. R. policies and employee handbooks; and, specialized supervisory training that increases employee productivity while helping to “litigation-proof” clients’ operations.

Prior to joining GrowthPort Partners Inc., P. Anthony Burnham, Esq., served for 17 years as Employment Counsel for the Los Angeles based, Carnation Company. As a member of Carnation's Corporate Legal Department, P. Anthony Burnham, Esq., successfully led the company through the 70's and early 80's when labor relations, employment discrimination and "wrongful" discharge problems and claims exposed the firm to significant federal and state liability. He established an outstanding national and international network of outside lawyers, whom he successfully managed on Carnation's behalf through literally hundreds of labor arbitrations, administrative hearings, jury and non-jury trials.

While serving as the Company's employment law counsel, P. Anthony Burnham, Esq.,, for years, both developed and taught formal and informal "preventive and practical" employment practices courses to corporate, division and plant managers in all 17 of Carnation’s sizable operating units. The scope of his legal responsibilities included all aspects of labor and employment law in both the United States and Europe, where he favorably resolved several extremely difficult consolidations, plant closures and senior executive terminations in Germany and Italy.

When Nestle acquired Carnation in 1985, P. Anthony Burnham, Esq., was made corporate Vice President of Human Resources Management. That position required him to consolidate and manage for the first time in Carnation's history the compensation, benefits, payroll, recruiting, training, performance management, equal employment and employee/labor relations functions. Additionally, he successfully restructured Nestle/Carnation's workforce from approximately 22,000 employees worldwide to 8,500 domestic, which increased the company's profitability and operating efficiency.

After leaving Nestle/Carnation, P. Anthony Burnham, Esq., joined the Newport Beach office of Fisher & Phillips LLP, a prominent national, management-side employment law firm where he developed a "best employment practices" approach to helping clients prevent employee challenges by becoming more performance focused. He, also, served as Senior VP and Employment Counsel for the Employers Group, President and Employment Counsel for The Human Capital Co-Op, LLC, and Executive VP and Employment Counsel for Orange County’s preeminent contingent workforce solutions provider-the Abbott Resource Group.

P. Anthony Burnham, Esq., for several years served on the Board of Directors of the Orange County Business Counsel that has 1000 member firms with a combined workforce of over 350,000 employees. He led the Board's vital Workforce Development initiative, which forged an effective strategic alliance between business and education to assure a qualified workforce for Orange County employers well into the next millennium.

P. Anthony Burnham, Esq., received his bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University and his legal education at the University of Utah College of Law. While studying law, P. Anthony Burnham, Esq., served for two years as law clerk to the then Chief Justice of the Utah State Supreme Court, the Honorable Henri F. Henriod. He has been an active member of the California State Bar’s Labor and Employment Law Section for over 35 years. He has been admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and U. S. District Courts for the Northern, Central and Eastern Districts of California and the U. S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas.

H. Wilson Beach
Chairman