Overview
A trusted advisor to government officials, boards of directors, and senior management, Lon has extensive experience practicing law in both the public and private sectors. Lon’s past experience as Chief Legal Counsel to Governor Charlie Baker and Deputy Chief Legal Counsel to Governor Weld, as well as General Counsel roles at both Fortune 250 retailer BJ’s Wholesale Club and a global strategy consulting firm Boston Consulting Group, and as a stint as a former federal prosecutor in the United States Attorney’s Office in Boston provide him with a unique perspective on how to approach difficult legal challenges that his clients face.
Lon’s areas of practice are:
- Litigation and Trial work: Lon served as a federal prosecutor in the United States Attorney’s Office in Boston, investigating, trying, and handling the appeal of cases involving complex financial crimes as part of the Economic Crimes Unit. Lon is currently representing several state agencies, in litigation matters, including a claim involving wrongful termination and violation of the Whistleblower Statute.
- Internal Investigations: Lon has assisted several state agencies with their responses to high-profile incidents, assisted in developing policies to respond to immediate agency needs, and ensure long-term public safety. He worked closely with leadership to diagnose challenges, propose paths forward, and implement solutions. He also assists a number of private clients in litigation matters.
- Legal and Policy Issues related Massachusetts State and Local Government: When the Commonwealth had to deal with the novel legal and high profile policy issues related to COVID-19, the Executive Office of Health and Human Services and the Governor’s Office turned to Lon to help support the Massachusetts Coronavirus Command Center and the Governor’s Legal Office on various legal and policy issues arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, Lon leads a team of Anderson & Kreiger attorneys assisting the Police Officers Standards and Training Commission as it starts up its operations Lon was also part of a team that provided research to support the task force led by Wayne Budd that investigated police reforms in the City of Boston.
- Outside Counsel for State Agencies: Lon is currently advising a number of state agencies on matters involving disputes, and regulatory and public law issues.
Most of all, Lon is a “yes lawyer” who finds creative ways to help clients achieve their business goals and get them where they need to go. That path is yes is not always clear at the outset, but using his knowledge and insight gained from his varied legal roles, Lon finds a legal path to accomplish their business goals. Also Lon understands the intense pressures that some general counsel face from boards and business executives and is able to translate legal reasoning into strategic positioning for their organizations.
To learn more about Lon’s “yes lawyer” philosophy, please watch a recent interview he had with Buying Legal Council: https://bit.ly/yeslawyer.
BEYOND THE OFFICE
Lon is active in the community, he currently serves on the boards of MassInc. (a non-partisan Massachusetts policy group), UTEC (an entity serving criminally involved youth), the Massachusetts Court Management Advisory Board, and the Jewish Community Relations Council. Earlier in his career, he spent eight years as a director of MassHousing, the state’s low-income housing finance agency, and another five years on the Governor’s Judicial Nominating Commission, nominated first by Governor Mitt Romney and re-nominated by Governor Deval Patrick. Lon has also served on the Board of Directors of the Greater Boston Food Bank and Greater Boston Legal Services, been elected a member of the Council of the Boston Bar Association, and been involved in a number of local organizations in Wellesley, MA where he lives with his wife Ilissa, and their dog Archie.
Credentials
Education
Harvard Law School, J.D., 1984
Dartmouth College, A.B., 1981, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa
Admissions
State and Federal Courts in Massachusetts
Clerkship
Law Clerk to Chief Justice Vincent L. McKusick, August 1984 - July 1985
Recognition
2019: Beacon of Justice Award, Massachusetts Equal Justice Coalition
2018: Executive Leadership Award, Jewish Community Relations Council
2014: Good Apple Award for “demonstrated dedication to public service, fairness and social justice,” Massachusetts Appleseed Center for Law and Justice
Affiliations
UTEC, Board Member, 2020-present
Massachusetts Court Management Advisory Board, Supreme Judicial Court appointment, 2019-present
MassINC, Board Member, 2019-present
Jewish Community Relations Council, Board Member, 2019-present
Massachusetts Bay Community College, Trustee, 2014-2015
Greater Boston Food Bank, Board Member, 2008-2014; Treasurer/Audit Committee Chair, 2011-2014
Greater Boston Legal Services, Board Member, 2010-2013
Boston Bar Association, Elected Council Member, 2010-2013
Judicial Nominating Commission, appointed by Governors Mitt Romney and Deval Patrick, 2005-2010
Wellesley Education Foundation, Advisory Board and Board Member, 2000-2009
Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency, Board Member, 1996-2004
Temple Beth Elohim of Wellesley, various Board and Committee positions, 1994-2014
Dartmouth College, Head Class Agent and Alumni Council member, 1981-present
Experience
- Oversaw the selection and confirmation process for 130 judges as Chief Legal Counsel to Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, including five justices on the Supreme Judicial Court and 30 percent of the judiciary overall.
- Provided counsel on regulating new industries, including ride-hailing companies like Uber, short-term housing rental companies like Airbnb, and the growing legal marijuana industry.
- Developed the broad-scale 2018 criminal justice reform bill that focused on minimizing the number of people cycling through the court system, helping those who served jail time stay out of the correctional system, and providing flexibility for young offenders.
- Played a key role in the 2015 reform measures for the MBTA under Governor Baker.
- Helped facilitate the fast-moving legal decisions that needed to be made in the wake of the catastrophic natural gas explosions in the Merrimack Valley in 2018.
- Served as a federal prosecutor in the United States Attorney’s Office in Boston, investigating, trying, and handling the appeal of cases involving complex financial crimes as part of the Economic Crimes Unit.
- Served as a member of BJ’s Wholesale Club’s senior leadership team during a period of significant business turnaround, resulting in the sale of the company to two private equity firms in September 2011.
- Worked on BJ’s Wholesale Club’s settlement of wage and hour class actions and lawsuits arising from a breach of the company’s computer systems.
- Elected Boston Consulting Group’s first non-consultant, global partner, responsible for all legal matters, including the firm’s relationships with its clients, protection of intellectual property, investments, and ventures activities.
- Oversaw the creation of an investment vehicle at Boston Consulting Group and negotiated the related joint venture agreement among the BCG investment vehicle, Goldman Sachs, and General Atlantic Partners.
Insights
- Webinar, Buying Legal Council, How to be a YES Lawyer (someone who makes things happen), September 2020
- Webinar Panelist, Buying Legal Council, Procurement, the GC’s Office and Legal Ops: Living Together and Thriving, August 2020
- Panelist, Thomson Reuters: The 27th Annual Marketing Partner Forum, Going Private: Onboarding Public Sector All-Stars, January 2020
A trusted advisor to government officials, boards of directors, and senior management, Lon has extensive experience practicing law in both the public and private sectors. Lon’s past experience as Chief Legal Counsel to Governor Charlie Baker and Deputy Chief Legal Counsel to Governor Weld, as well as General Counsel roles at both Fortune 250 retailer BJ’s Wholesale Club and a global strategy consulting firm Boston Consulting Group, and as a stint as a former federal prosecutor in the United States Attorney’s Office in Boston provide him with a unique perspective on how to approach difficult legal challenges that his clients face.
Lon’s areas of practice are:
- Litigation and Trial work: Lon served as a federal prosecutor in the United States Attorney’s Office in Boston, investigating, trying, and handling the appeal of cases involving complex financial crimes as part of the Economic Crimes Unit. Lon is currently representing several state agencies, in litigation matters, including a claim involving wrongful termination and violation of the Whistleblower Statute.
- Internal Investigations: Lon has assisted several state agencies with their responses to high-profile incidents, assisted in developing policies to respond to immediate agency needs, and ensure long-term public safety. He worked closely with leadership to diagnose challenges, propose paths forward, and implement solutions. He also assists a number of private clients in litigation matters.
- Legal and Policy Issues related Massachusetts State and Local Government: When the Commonwealth had to deal with the novel legal and high profile policy issues related to COVID-19, the Executive Office of Health and Human Services and the Governor’s Office turned to Lon to help support the Massachusetts Coronavirus Command Center and the Governor’s Legal Office on various legal and policy issues arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, Lon leads a team of Anderson & Kreiger attorneys assisting the Police Officers Standards and Training Commission as it starts up its operations Lon was also part of a team that provided research to support the task force led by Wayne Budd that investigated police reforms in the City of Boston.
- Outside Counsel for State Agencies: Lon is currently advising a number of state agencies on matters involving disputes, and regulatory and public law issues.
Most of all, Lon is a “yes lawyer” who finds creative ways to help clients achieve their business goals and get them where they need to go. That path is yes is not always clear at the outset, but using his knowledge and insight gained from his varied legal roles, Lon finds a legal path to accomplish their business goals. Also Lon understands the intense pressures that some general counsel face from boards and business executives and is able to translate legal reasoning into strategic positioning for their organizations.
To learn more about Lon’s “yes lawyer” philosophy, please watch a recent interview he had with Buying Legal Council: https://bit.ly/yeslawyer.
BEYOND THE OFFICE
Lon is active in the community, he currently serves on the boards of MassInc. (a non-partisan Massachusetts policy group), UTEC (an entity serving criminally involved youth), the Massachusetts Court Management Advisory Board, and the Jewish Community Relations Council. Earlier in his career, he spent eight years as a director of MassHousing, the state’s low-income housing finance agency, and another five years on the Governor’s Judicial Nominating Commission, nominated first by Governor Mitt Romney and re-nominated by Governor Deval Patrick. Lon has also served on the Board of Directors of the Greater Boston Food Bank and Greater Boston Legal Services, been elected a member of the Council of the Boston Bar Association, and been involved in a number of local organizations in Wellesley, MA where he lives with his wife Ilissa, and their dog Archie.
Education
Harvard Law School, J.D., 1984
Dartmouth College, A.B., 1981, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa
Admissions
State and Federal Courts in Massachusetts
Clerkship
Law Clerk to Chief Justice Vincent L. McKusick, August 1984 - July 1985
2019: Beacon of Justice Award, Massachusetts Equal Justice Coalition
2018: Executive Leadership Award, Jewish Community Relations Council
2014: Good Apple Award for “demonstrated dedication to public service, fairness and social justice,” Massachusetts Appleseed Center for Law and Justice
UTEC, Board Member, 2020-present
Massachusetts Court Management Advisory Board, Supreme Judicial Court appointment, 2019-present
MassINC, Board Member, 2019-present
Jewish Community Relations Council, Board Member, 2019-present
Massachusetts Bay Community College, Trustee, 2014-2015
Greater Boston Food Bank, Board Member, 2008-2014; Treasurer/Audit Committee Chair, 2011-2014
Greater Boston Legal Services, Board Member, 2010-2013
Boston Bar Association, Elected Council Member, 2010-2013
Judicial Nominating Commission, appointed by Governors Mitt Romney and Deval Patrick, 2005-2010
Wellesley Education Foundation, Advisory Board and Board Member, 2000-2009
Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency, Board Member, 1996-2004
Temple Beth Elohim of Wellesley, various Board and Committee positions, 1994-2014
Dartmouth College, Head Class Agent and Alumni Council member, 1981-present
- Oversaw the selection and confirmation process for 130 judges as Chief Legal Counsel to Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, including five justices on the Supreme Judicial Court and 30 percent of the judiciary overall.
- Provided counsel on regulating new industries, including ride-hailing companies like Uber, short-term housing rental companies like Airbnb, and the growing legal marijuana industry.
- Developed the broad-scale 2018 criminal justice reform bill that focused on minimizing the number of people cycling through the court system, helping those who served jail time stay out of the correctional system, and providing flexibility for young offenders.
- Played a key role in the 2015 reform measures for the MBTA under Governor Baker.
- Helped facilitate the fast-moving legal decisions that needed to be made in the wake of the catastrophic natural gas explosions in the Merrimack Valley in 2018.
- Served as a federal prosecutor in the United States Attorney’s Office in Boston, investigating, trying, and handling the appeal of cases involving complex financial crimes as part of the Economic Crimes Unit.
- Served as a member of BJ’s Wholesale Club’s senior leadership team during a period of significant business turnaround, resulting in the sale of the company to two private equity firms in September 2011.
- Worked on BJ’s Wholesale Club’s settlement of wage and hour class actions and lawsuits arising from a breach of the company’s computer systems.
- Elected Boston Consulting Group’s first non-consultant, global partner, responsible for all legal matters, including the firm’s relationships with its clients, protection of intellectual property, investments, and ventures activities.
- Oversaw the creation of an investment vehicle at Boston Consulting Group and negotiated the related joint venture agreement among the BCG investment vehicle, Goldman Sachs, and General Atlantic Partners.