Leon Presner
Owner/President of Defend-it Legal Services
Paralegal, Private Investigator & CCRTIS Fingerprinting/Background Screening Officer

Leon Presner, a Trent University graduate, holds a Bachelor of Arts with a joint major in Sociology and Computer Information Systems.  During his tenure as a sworn police officer, he completed his degree.  After obtaining a post-graduate certificate in Paralegal Studies from Centennial College in 2015, Leon passed the Law Society of Ontario's paralegal examination in 2017.  He furthered his education with certificates in Alternative Dispute Resolution from Centennial College and Immigration Consultancy from Humber College, alongside obtaining a Private Investigation Licence and a Private Investigative Agency Licence from the Ministry of the Solicitor General.  Leon also acquired federal licensing from the RCMP to conduct civil fingerprinting.  Recently, he was accepted into the University of London's Law School undergraduate program for the 2021/2022 academic year, aiming to transition from a paralegal to a lawyer.

In 2018, after retiring from 27 1/2 years of police service, Leon founded Defend-it Legal Services Professional Corporation.  His police career included roles as a Youth Officer and a Detective Constable, leading investigations into fraud, theft, crimes against persons, sudden deaths, sexual offences, and technology-related crimes.  Leon's training spans various investigative disciplines, including Domestic Violence Investigation, Fraud Investigation, and Investigative Interviewing.

Leon's entrepreneurial spirit led him to expand Defend-it Legal Services into a multi-disciplinary firm offering services like Private Investigation, Skip Tracing, and Process Serving.

He is also a part-time Professor at Centennial College, teaching the Law Clerk, Office Administration and Paralegal programs to his avid students.  He also teaches privately the Private Investigation Preparatory Course licensed by the Ministry of the Solicitor General to would-be Private Investigator licensees.

Leon's dynamic, charismatic, and people-focused approach has brought him numerous accolades, including an Inspector’s Commendation (2005), the Exemplary Service Medal (2010), Leadership and Community Service Awards through the Rotary Club of Pickering (2016) and the Ghanaian News (2017), the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Centennial College (2019) and the City of Pickering, "Local Business Award" at the 2023 Civic Awards Ceremony (2024).