Capitol Weekly’s Top 100: Erin Niemela

No. 76 Erin Niemela

Erin Niemela and her business partner Emily Pappas (No. 77) have one of the most impressive client lists around. The names there include corporate luminaries like eBay, Indeed, Land O’Lakes, Mattel, PayPal, Salesforce, FanDuel, Sony Pictures, Spotify, StubHub and Union Pacific Railroads, which explains how Niemela Pappas & Associates is always one of the top grossing lobbying shops in the Capitol. It might not seem like it based on that clientele, but Niemela also considers herself a big environmental champion. Regardless of who she is repping, she is known as a consummate pro and a fierce advocate who leverages her decades of experience in the Capitol – including time as a staffer for the likes of former Assemblymember Tom Bates, Assembly Speaker Willie Brown and Senate pro Tem Don Perata – to her clients’ advantage.

Updated Aug. 11, 2026