Jeremy Lessem

“I love being able to look somebody in the eye and let them know that I’m the one who’s fighting for them, and that nobody is going to work harder for them than me,” Jeremy says.

Jeremy Lessem grew up around a courtroom. At a very young age, Jeremy was watching trials and meeting influential judges, prosecutors and defense attorneys while following around his father, highly respected Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Mark D. Lessem.

After he graduated from the top-tier University of Michigan Law School, Jeremy began his career practicing civil litigation. After three years of being a civil litigator, he decided to follow in his father’s footsteps and began practicing criminal law in 2004.

Jeremy quickly stepped out of his father’s shadow and forged a reputation for being a skilled, dedicated and aggressive criminal defense attorney who had inherited his father’s passion for protecting the rights of the accused.

Jeremy co-founded the law firm Lessem & Newstat in 2011, which later became Lessem, Newstat & Tooson in 2016 when partner J. Tooson was added to the firm. As a co-founding partner of the law firm, Jeremy has represented numerous high-profile clients in cases that have garnered national attention. His client list includes professional athletes, entertainers, business leaders and music executives. However, likely Jeremy’s highest profile case to date was his representation of a cooperating defendant in the Robert Meuller Special Counsel investigation in Washington, D.C. The case which ultimately led to the now infamous “Meuller Report.”

“I take pride in the fact that individuals who could hire anyone to represent them, have consistently chosen me and my firm to help them with their most important legal issues.” Jeremy says. “At the same, it is extremely important to me that every single client with this firm understands that no matter who they are, and what they need us for, their case gets the same level of passion and dedication. I understand that whatever case I’m working on is the most important case in the world to that particular client, and it needs to be treated that way.”

Over the past 16 years, Jeremy has represented clients in virtually every type of criminal proceeding in both State and Federal court, including numerous serious and violent felonies. His experience includes:

For his continued achievements, Jeremy has been selected to the prestigious list of Southern California Super Lawyers® every year since 2014. He is also a Certified Criminal Law Specialist with the State Bar of California. Jeremy has been featured in various news outlets, including the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Rolling Stone Magazine, Billboard Magazine, CNN, MSNBC and many others.

While Jeremy finds the high-profile cases challenging, he has also established a reputation as having a particular expertise in cases involving mental health related issues. Widely considered one of the pre-eminent mental health defense attorneys in California, Jeremy has defended individuals suffering from mental health conditions all over the State. “I strongly believe that when someone engages in conduct that took place as a result of their mental health issues, these individuals need to be looked at differently, says Jeremy. “These cases are about medical issues. They shouldn’t be about punishment and trying to put people in jail. The conduct of mentally ill defendants is not fixed by incarceration, that only makes things worse, the answer is treatment.”

Jeremy’s passion for fighting for the rights of the mentally ill extends beyond the courtroom. Jeremy volunteers his time to assist in advocating for pro-mental health treatment related legislation and routinely speaks at events for parents and families of those suffering from mental health conditions. Under Jeremy’s leadership, Lessem, Newstat & Tooson has also raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), a non-profit organization dedicated to building better lives for those affected by mental health conditions.

Jeremy is also passionate about sports, and in 2018, Jeremy became a registered NFL player agent. Jeremy and his business partner J. Tooson currently represent multiple professional football players in the NFL.

Whether defending a high-profile client in a serious criminal case, advocating for a mentally ill client to get into a treatment program instead of jail or negotiating a contract for a high-profile NFL rookie, Jeremy is passionate about fighting for his clients. “I love this work and feel that what I do is extremely important,” Jeremy says. “Through the work I do I can have an incredible impact on someone’s life. Often, what I can accomplish will impact my clients for the rest of their lives. I understand this. And that’s why I put my heart into every case I handle.”