Capitol Weekly’s Top 100: Larisa Cespedes

91. Larisa Cespedes

Larisa Cespedes is a partner at Miller, Cespedes & Associates, one of Sacramento’s smaller (and newer) lobbying firms, but no less mighty or influential. The firm of just three lobbyists, which billed nearly $3.24 million over the first 15 months of the legislative cycle, represents some big hitters, including Estee Lauder, FedEx, Hawaiian Gardens Casino, Phillips 66, Southern California Edison and Walmart. Cespedes is a hardened veteran of California lobbying, having worked for the lobbying firm Lang, Hansen, O’Malley & Miller for 10 years before joining Miller, Cespedes & Associates in January 2020. Colleagues say one reason so many of her clients love her is her innate ability to take complex issues and break them down to plain language. In a world of lawyer- and consultant-speak, that’s a super power.