Scott Lesmes chairs Morrison Foerster’s Public Company Advisory & Governance practice, and is a partner in the firm's Capital Markets practice. Scott focuses his practice on counseling clients with respect to corporate and securities matters. He advises publicly-listed companies and boards of directors on a broad range of securities regulation and corporate governance issues and has substantial experience in dealing with restatements and internal control concerns.

Scott also counsels issuers and underwriters in the public offering process and in corporate compliance matters involving SEC reporting and disclosure requirements.

Prior to his career in private law, Scott served as in-house counsel at two public companies. He worked extensively in establishing corporate compliance programs and policies, including those related to insider trading, Section 16, and corporate disclosure while serving as Chief Legal Officer for Allied Capital Corporation, a NYSE-listed business development company, as well as Deputy General Counsel/Chief Securities Counsel for Fannie Mae, a financial services company. Scott draws on his significant in-house experience to provide valuable perspective in his role as an outside advisor. 

Scott has received nationwide recognition for excellence in capital markets law. Legal 500 US recognizes Scott as "a key partner in the team [for debt offerings]" and acknowledges his "capital markets expertise. IFLR1000 distinguishes Scott as "highly regarded" in the areas of Capital markets: Debt and Capital markets: Equity, and U.S. News' Best Lawyers identifies him as a leading lawyer in Securities/Capital Markets Law.

Scott currently serves as chair of Morrison & Foerster’s Practice and Opinion Review Committee, and as a co-chair of Practising Law Institute’s Annual Disclosure Documents program.