Michael A. Lesser - Boston, MA
Attorney at Thornton Law Firm LLP
False Claims and Fraud Lawyers in Boston, MA
84 State Street 4th Fl. Boston, MA 02109
- Free Consultation
- 1 Super Lawyers®
-
31
Years
Experience
Boston False Claims and Fraud Lawyer
Updated: 03/05/2026
Areas of Practice
- False Claims and Fraud
- Whistleblower Litigation
Attorney Information
Overview
Mr. Lesser joined Thornton Law Firm LLP as an associate in 1995 after previously clerking at the firm. He heads the firm’s Whistleblower litigation section, with a focus on representing individuals that report violations of securities laws subject to the SEC Whistleblowing statute and individuals that report fraud on the government through the Federal and state False Claims Act statutes.
In 2020 Mr. Lesser’s client, an FX trader who worked for Bank of New York Mellon, was awarded the then largest individual SEC whistleblower award in the history of SEC whistleblower litigation. The client’s almost $50 million dollar award was for providing original information to the Securities and Exchange Commission that resulted in a successful enforcement action that returned a significant amount of money to harmed investors.
Mr. Lesser was rated as one of New England’s Top Rated Lawyers by ALM Media and Martindale-Hubbell™ from 2020-2022. Mr. Lesser was named an Up-and-Coming Lawyer by Massachusetts Lawyers’ Weekly in 2002. He was selected as a Massachusetts Super Lawyer in 2021, 2022, and 2023. He was selected as a Massachusetts Super Lawyers Rising Star in 2005 and 2010.
Awards and Honors
Honors
- Named a Massachusetts Super Lawyer® in 2021 and 2022 by Thomson Reuters’s Massachusetts Super Lawyers® Magazine
- Named a New England’s Top Rated Lawyer by ALM Media and Martindale-Hubbell™ in 2020, 2021 and 2022
- Named a Super Lawyers® “Rising Star” in 2005 and 2010 by Thomson Reuters’s Massachusetts Super Lawyers® Magazine
- Named an “Up and Coming Lawyer” by Massachusetts Lawyers’ Weekly in 2002
Other Sources of Feedback About Michael A. Lesser
Included on the 2026 Massachusetts Super Lawyers list
Past Lists
- 2025 Massachusetts Super Lawyers list
- 2024 Massachusetts Super Lawyers list
- 2023 Massachusetts Super Lawyers list
- 2022 Massachusetts Super Lawyers list
- 2021 Massachusetts Super Lawyers list
- 2010 Massachusetts Super Lawyers list
- 2005 Massachusetts Super Lawyers list
Education
-
Legal Education
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Boston University School of Law,
Boston,
Massachusetts, 1995
J.D.
-
Boston University School of Law,
Boston,
Massachusetts, 1995
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Non Legal Education
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Brandeis University, 1992
B.A.
Honors: cum laude
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Brandeis University, 1992
Languages
-
English (Primary)
Representative Cases
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Then-largest-ever individual SEC whistleblower award – 2020
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Spirito v. Hyster New Eng., Inc., et al., 70 Mass. App. Ct. 902, 827 N.E.2d 1160 (2007)
Bar Admissions
- Massachusetts, 1995
- U.S. District Court District of Massachusetts, 1997
- U.S. Court of Appeals 1st Circuit, 2006
Other Affiliations
- American Bar Association (Member)
- Massachusetts Bar Association
- American Association for Justice (Member)
- Taxpayers Against Fraud (Member)
Photo
Contact
84 State Street
4th Fl.
Boston, MA 02109
Phone: 617-749-0149
Fax: 617-720-2445
Email: Send a message
Hours: Monday - Friday: 8:30 AM-5:30 PM
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