Former Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot joins Charles River Associates

Lori Lightfoot, former mayor of Chicago, has joined consulting firm Charles River Associates (CRA) as a senior consultant in the forensic services practice.

Based in Chicago and New York, Lightfoot will join a team of professionals who advise clients on matters relating to fraud, misconduct, and regulatory compliance.

Lightfoot served as Chicago’s 56th mayor between 2019 and 2023. She received 16% of the vote in her bid for a second term, failing to reach the runoff – which was won by current mayor Brandon Johnson.

Before her term as mayor of Chicago, Lightfoot served as assistant US attorney in the Northern District of Illinois. She began her legal career at Mayer Brown LLP, where she was latterly a senior partner.

Lightfoot holds a JD from the University of Chicago and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan.

“We are excited to welcome Lori Lightfoot to the CRA team,” said Paul Maleh, president and CEO of CRA. “Lori has a wealth of experience and rare expertise related to complex investigations, high-stakes litigation, enforcement actions, and crisis management.”

Headquartered in Boston, CRA specializes in litigation, regulatory, financial, and management consulting. The firm has over 900 employees across offices in the Americas, Europe, and Australia.

CRA ranked 20th on the Vault Consulting 50 North America list.

“CRA has a stellar and well-deserved reputation, and I am honored to be joining such an esteemed group of colleagues,” said Lightfoot. “I am excited about introducing CRA's excellent offerings to new clients and working to deepen our relationships with existing clients."

The firm last year hired Amanda Rigby as a vice president in its forensic services practice in Chicago.