Los / Les
 

Pleased to meet you (plural):

• Encantado de conoceros (informal)
• Encantado de conocerlos (formal; direct object pronoun)
• Encantado de conocerles (formal; indirect object pronoun)

My understanding of 'leísmo' is when the direct object pronoun 'lo' is replaced with the indirect object pronoun 'le'. I didn't think you could replace 'los' or 'las' with 'les' but I hear the third expression above (with 'les') a lot in Spain.

It is technically the direct object pronoun we should be using here, isn't it?

Is the third expression above (with 'les') incorrect?

The RAE article about leísmo in "Diccionario panhispánico de dudas" may be worth reviewing for what the RAE's position is on this topic.

Based on this article, I think that in those regions which where "le" is accepted as a direct object for a single human male, "les" is also likely to be accepted as a direct object for a group of people that is not known to be all-female.

The article also discusses several situations where we native speakers of English might perceive a direct object but native speakers of Spanish might perceive an indirect object.

Thank you so much, wrholt.