Eric Lesser, a former Massachusetts state senator and Obama White House aide, draws on his extensive experience as a lawyer, legislator and policymaker to advise clients facing challenges at the intersection of law, business and public policy. With his in-depth understanding of decision-making processes in the executive branch and in state government—and of policy issues touching the life sciences, technology, financial services, healthcare, higher education, transportation and manufacturing industries—Mr. Lesser provides incisive guidance and representation on a wide variety of complex, government-facing matters.

As a state senator in Massachusetts, Mr. Lesser chaired the Committee on Economic Development & Emerging Technologies, co-authoring four major economic development packages over three legislative sessions. He led Senate negotiations for legislation authorizing more than $627 million in aid for families and small businesses in response to COVID-19, and for historic zoning reform to alleviate the housing crisis. He also co-authored and led negotiations for new laws regarding life sciences, sports wagering, consumer protection, intellectual property and transportation infrastructure. 

Mr. Lesser served as chair of the Massachusetts Senate Committee on Ethics, a role in which he conducted two high-profile internal investigations, coordinating with state regulatory and law enforcement agencies. He also co-chaired the Massachusetts Commission on the Future of Work, the Manufacturing Caucus, and the Gateway Cities Caucus, and was vice chair of both the Transportation Committee and Judiciary Committee. Recognized nationally for his expertise on economic policy and transit and rail policy, he recently served on the Transition Committee for Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey and Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, focusing on transportation issues. 

At the White House, Mr. Lesser was special assistant to Senior Advisor David Axelrod, one of President Obama’s closest and most trusted aides. Mr. Lesser assisted in developing and executing strategy around the passage of the Affordable Care Act and the Dodd/Frank Wall Street Reform Act and the federal response to the Great Recession and the Global Financial Crisis. He also served as director of strategic planning for the President’s Council of Economic Advisers, where he was the principal communications, political, and legislative adviser to Council Chair Austan Goolsbee, a key economic adviser and member of the president’s cabinet. Mr. Lesser began his career as one of the original members of Obama’s presidential campaign, traveling extensively with Obama and his senior staff through both the primary and general elections.

Professional Activities

Mr. Lesser is the founder of a workshop series on running for office, hosted by Harvard’s Institute of Politics and Center for Public Leadership, and a lecturer in Political Science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He also worked for seven seasons as a consultant to the hit HBO series VEEP.

Mr. Lesser is a term member at the Council on Foreign Relations and a founding member of the national advisory board of the Student Borrower Protection Center. Previously, he was the recipient of a Rodel Fellowship in Public Leadership at the Aspen Institute, national co-chair of the Future of Work Initiative for The NewDEAL, a national network of state and local elected officials, and an inaugural fellow of the Massachusetts Civic Action Project.