Stephen Lesser

Stephen Lesser, Principal at NovaQuest Capital Management, is responsible for sourcing, structuring, negotiating, and managing animal health and human health investments.
He has extensive experience advising life sciences companies and their leadership teams on complex transactions, including corporate finance, venture capital, M&A, and other strategic and growth initiatives.
Before joining NovaQuest, Mr. Lesser spent seven years at Bayer.
Most recently, Mr. Lesser served as lead counsel for Leaps by Bayer, Bayer’s corporate venture capital arm.
He was responsible for advising on equity, joint venture, and other strategic investment, licensing, and collaboration activities across Bayer’s portfolio of pharmaceutical, agricultural, animal health, and consumer health investments.
Previously, Mr. Lesser served as a senior lawyer for Bayer’s U.S.
agricultural business unit advising on all aspects of its strategy and commercial operations, including venture capital investments.
Prior to joining Bayer, Mr. Lesser spent five years at Troutman Sanders LLP, where he represented public and private companies in dynamic and heavily regulated environments on > $15 billion in M&A, debt and equity offerings, and other corporate matters.
Mr. Lesser earned a BA in History from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, a JD from the Washington and Lee University School of Law, and a MBA from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.