Before joining Mintz, Elissa was Deputy Legal Counsel to Governor Romney and Executive Director of the Judicial Nominating Commission for the Office of the Governor of Massachusetts. Prior to joining the governor’s office, she was an associate in the litigation section of a Boston-based law firm, where she focused primarily on complex defense litigation. Earlier Elissa served as a law clerk to the justices of the Superior Court of Massachusetts and as research assistant to the late Justice Joseph Nolan of the Supreme Judicial Court. She also worked for the late Congressman J. Joseph Moakley and Massachusetts Senator Jo Ann Sprague.

Elissa represents government agencies, private and publicly-traded companies, nonprofits, and individuals on matters regarding ethics, privacy, higher education, government ethics, election law, corporate compliance, conflict of interest laws, public records law, lobbying, campaign finance, open meeting law, ballot questions, litigation, and other government areas. She is senior counsel to clients on all aspects of government operations and frequently trains government entities on compliance.

Elissa also advises large corporations and businesses on the unique government law issues they face when interacting with government; representing clients in government investigations; assists clients with developing and maintaining policies and systems to ensure compliance with ethics, lobbying, and other political laws; represents clients in enforcement actions and internal investigations; and served as a Special Assistant Attorney General, representing and defending various state entities.

In addition, Elissa served as legal counsel to the Inaugural and Transition Committees for Governor Baker and Lt. Governor Polito, Treasurer Deborah Goldberg, and former Mayor Martin J. Walsh. More recently, she served as Massachusetts and Vermont legal counsel for the Bloomberg 2020 presidential campaign. Massachusetts Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey have appointed Elissa to serve on the bipartisan advisory committee to review and provide recommendations on federal District Court judicial candidates across Massachusetts, as well as on a seven-member bipartisan advisory committee to review and provide recommendations on U.S. Attorney candidates for the District of Massachusetts.

As a former senior member of the governor’s legal office, she has extensive experience in legislative and regulatory drafting, government litigation, and government compliance. She has lectured and written extensively on public records law, ethics, campaign finance, election law, lobbying, and open meeting law.

Elissa is actively involved in a variety of cases for the firm’s pro bono practice. She led the legislative redrafting and developed the strategic plan for the passage of G.L. c. 258E, “An Act Relative to Harassment Prevention Orders,” a Massachusetts law which allows a victim of stalking, sexual assault, and/or harassment to obtain a criminally enforceable restraining order against her or his perpetrator. For her pro bono work on the harassment prevention law, she received a public service award in 2010 and the Massachusetts Legislature issued a proclamation in recognition of her work on redrafting legislation. The firm was awarded the American Bar Association Pro Bono Publico Award in August 2010 for its work on the legislation.

Some of Elissa’s recent successful legal matters include representing the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association, its board, and multiple ballot question committees, including the Coalition to Protect Patient Safety from campaign finance compliance, active litigation, HIPAA and FCC appeals. During the same election, she served as legal counsel to Governor Baker, and separately, as pro bono legal counsel to the “Yes on 3” ballot question campaign, the first-ever statewide popular vote on protections for transgender people from discrimination. Elissa also recently achieved a favorable resolution to a Federal Election Commission complaint on behalf of Suffolk Construction, Inc. and its nonprofit subsidiary Suffolk Cares. As of late, pro bono work surrounding COVID-19 (e.g., assist with the creation of the COVID-19 Relief Fund, PPE for healthcare providers, etc.) has been a critical (and incredibly rewarding) component of Elissa’s practice.