Member Spotlight on … Pierce Haley
October 2026
You started your career at the Massachusetts State House. What first drew you to working there?
I started as a page in the House of Representatives. I needed a part-time job while I was in college at Suffolk University and the State House was right across the street. I could put on a blazer with the state seal, work for an hour and go back to class. I got hooked.
Before I had even graduated college I got offered a job as a legislative aide for a rank-and-file state representative. We had the office across the hall from the State House coffee shop, so I got to know everybody: the governor, legislators, even the secretary of state and state treasurer. And, of course, all their staff – plus all the lobbyists and unofficial lobbyists that would hang around.
So you didn’t necessarily set out to pursue a career in government affairs. Was it something you stumbled into?
I just needed a job. Before becoming a page, a classmate of mine helped me get a job with her father at a Saab independent garage, but the travel time between the job and school didn’t make any sense.
I do have relatives in politics on my mother’s side. I’m half El Salvadorian, and my grandfather was a doctor in El Salvador who ran for vice president twice and served in the Asamblea Legislativa de El Salvador – the country’s unicameral legislative body. I also have a cousin there who served as a member of the legislative assembly and just recently retired.
Your practice started in Massachusetts and now spans 37 state capitals. How did you expand into so many states?
The growth began when a client we had been representing in Massachusetts expanded its business to New Hampshire and then to Maine. And then once you become multi-state, it builds on itself. Over the years we developed relationships within state governments and key stakeholder groups in the other New England states (who, fortuitously, have much shorter sessions than Massachusetts). From there, we became experts in different emerging issues that allowed us to continue to expand outside of the region.
The other thing that has changed this business is technology. The ability to track legislation and follow what is happening in different state capitals across the country really allows you to expand beyond your borders.
You’ve been involved in the Council for years, including serving on the Executive Committee and the Programs Committee. What has kept you engaged? Why is giving back to the public affairs profession important?
I’m one of the few state lobbyists involved with the Public Affairs Council, although more are joining now.
Being involved in the Council is like getting a mini MBA. Every time I go to a Council conference, I’m learning about cutting-edge issues and interacting with thought leaders. There are no continuing education requirements for lobbyists, and I would say the Council is probably the closest thing we have to continuing education.
Everybody wants to help each other out. When you have a problem, you can call somebody in another state and say, “Can you tell me about this?”
You have worked on both sides of the aisle. What did those experiences teach you about working across political differences and building trust?
One of the hallmarks of our firm is the ability to put disparate groups together. Sometimes groups aren’t aware of the various constituencies that a single policy might impact, or worse, won’t even talk to those they assume are opposed to them. We always try to put opposing sides together early on and figure out if there’s something that we can do to work together, see if there is some wiggle room to come to an agreement because the legislature is not going to be the referee.
What do you know about being a successful advocate today that you wish you understood when you first started working as a lobbyist?
The early bird gets the worm. You have to do continuous outreach on your issues, even when the legislature is in a lull and you don’t think things are happening. Put your stake in the ground early and just stay on top of it.
If you hesitate in this world or make assumptions, it can cost you a positive outcome.
You’ve been working around Beacon Hill for many years. Do you have a favorite Boston recommendation you would give somebody who’s visiting town for the first time?
Walk the Freedom Trail. It’s always great. The wonderful thing about living in Boston is that you walk down the street and you’re looking at a brand-new high-rise and then the building next door was built in the 1700s.
But it’s hard to pick a favorite. There are incredible landmarks from the American Revolution actively operating today. The Old North Church, where Paul Revere hung his lanterns, still has Sunday services and you can always grab a beer at the Green Dragon Tavern where the Sons of Liberty allegedly met to plan the overthrow of the British government. The North End is arguably the best “Little Italy” in the country and is just a spectacular place. I lived there for a couple of years.
And Boston is a walking city. Start at the Boston Common, the oldest public park in the United States with a beautiful view of our gold-domed State House, through the Public Garden and onto the iconic Commonwealth Mall, which takes you all the way down to the legendary Fenway Park.
A secret I tell visitors who want to see the city skyline is to jump on the commuter ferry in Boston Harbor. Ride that and you can see so much of Boston from the water.
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The early bird gets the worm. You have to do continuous outreach on your issues, even when the legislature is in a lull and you don’t think things are happening.
When you have a free day, what do you like to do with your time?
I’m a hiker. This summer I hiked Mount Katahdin, which is the tallest peak in Maine.
I do a lot of work around the house and have a tool shop. I’d love to have more time to work on old cars again. I used to own a 1968 Pontiac convertible and worked on it constantly.
Are there any books that you’ve really enjoyed recently?
Right now I’m reading Invisible Child by New York Times journalist Andrea Elliott. It’s a Pulitzer Prize-winning book about a young girl growing up in New York City in poverty and living in a shelter.
What inspired you to pick that book up?
In addition to our traditional lobbying clients, it is important to us as a firm to do pro bono work, and one of our pro bono clients is the only homeless shelter system in Boston that exclusively supports mothers and children. I really feel like we’re making a difference because now they have professional lobbyists on their side and we’re able to advocate for them.
Any quick closing advice for young professionals?
The line of advice I always gave my kids was: Be nice to the janitor and be nice to the CEO.
One year, when my kids were in elementary school, I was late for their holiday festival. It had snowed, and when they came out of the gym, they saw my car parked in the front row. They asked, “Dad, you were late. How did you get such a good spot?” Well, the janitors had dug out the spot for me because I’d always been nice to them.
And so when you are nice to others, it comes back in spades.
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The line of advice I always gave my kids was: Be nice to the janitor and be nice to the CEO.
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