Misha Lehrer is a national security and defense policy advisor who represents clients before Capitol Hill and the executive branch, with deep expertise before the congressional defense committees and the U.S. Department of Defense. With more than a decade of experience across both the public and private sectors, Misha designs and executes high-impact government relations strategies with the goals of shaping federal policy, securing funding, and positioning clients for success in the defense marketplace, particularly across emerging technologies, autonomous systems, dual-use innovation, as well as clients working to achieve greater quality of life for service members and their families.

Misha is a trusted advisor to defense and national security stakeholders navigating complex legislative, regulatory, and funding environments. He leads advocacy on matters involving defense acquisition and sustainment, industrial base policy, U.S.-China strategic competition, and the integration of emerging and dual-use technologies into national security missions. He also helps commercial and venture-backed companies successfully enter and scale within the defense sector. A significant portion of his practice involves leading client strategy throughout the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which authorizes the yearly defense budget and sets policy for the Department of Defense. He also structures defense appropriations, aligning client capabilities within congressional and DOD priorities.

Misha previously served as a legislative and economic aide to U.S. senator Chris Murphy, advising on matters before the Senate Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. In that role, he led policy portfolios spanning federal funding and manufacturing, which included workforce development, economic development, Made in America policy, trade, and defense industrial base resilience. He played a key role in advancing billions of dollars in federal funding priorities through the appropriations process, including drafting legislative language and funding requests across all 12 appropriations bills. He also served as an economic advisor, delivering analysis on national and global economic conditions and shaping policy recommendations. Earlier in his career, he worked as a special assistant to the same senator and served as an intelligence fellow at a private military company and at a public policy think tank.

Misha was selected for the National Security Fellows Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in 2026. He regularly writes and speaks on defense policy, particularly analysis on the intersection of federal legislation and the defense industrial base.

˘ Not admitted to the practice of law.