E155: Richard Honen Partner at Phillips Lytle

Richard is an Albany Law School Graduate and currently works as a Partner at Phillips Lytle.

This episode with Richard Honen hits close to home, literally. Rich is a fellow University at Albany alum, or as he calls it, Albany State, and an Albany Law School graduate who has been practicing law right here in Albany for 40 years. Rich takes us down his journey, from drifting into law school after his roommate convinced him to apply on a Smith Corona typewriter, to helping carry a conference table into the office on his very first day at a brand new firm, to eventually buying that firm, putting his name on the door, and later merging it with Phillips Lytle, where he now leads their startup and venture capital practice.

What I love about Rich’s story is the entrepreneurial thread that runs through all of it. He built a firm from two file cabinets of cases into something worth merging with one of the biggest firms in upstate New York, all while questioning whether he could really hang with the Harvard guys. And his advice on not overcomplicating things, drawing from his days as the least talented guy in a seven-person band at UAlbany, is something I think everyone can take to heart.

This was an incredible conversation with someone who has seen it all in Albany’s legal world and is still going strong.

Rich’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-honen

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