How I Made Office Managing Partner

April 25, 2022

Mark Ustin, 50, Farrell Fritz, Albany, New York

Job title: Partner in charge of the Albany office and head of the health care practice and New York state regulatory and government relations practice.

Practice area: Health care, New York state regulatory and government relations.

Law school and year of graduation: St. John’s University School of Law, 1996.

How long have you been at the firm? I started my career at Farrell Fritz as a summer associate in 1995, and left in 1999 to take the first of several positions in New York State government. After leaving government, I started my health care and lobbying practice at another firm, before returning in 2018 to launch Farrell Fritz’s Albany office. I became a partner at my prior firm in 2012, and rejoined Farrell Fritz as the partner in charge of the Albany office in 2018.

What do you think was the deciding point for the firm in making you office managing partner? Farrell Fritz has served the health care sector for many years, providing a variety of corporate, tax, real estate and other services, and I often acted as co-counsel when they needed regulatory expertise. When the firm decided they needed in-house expertise to tie together the many pieces of their health care practice, I was a natural choice, given both the nature of my practice and my prior relationship with the firm. The ability to also open a new office in the state capital, along with a robust state lobbying practice, was also attractive. The firm certainly considered the fact that I started my career at Farrell Fritz, and was very familiar with the strong culture in place. I knew joining the firm I would be afforded the opportunity to be entrepreneurial, and they were focused on adding a leader who would drive collegiality and community engagement, as well as fit the culture. Even though I was technically a lateral hire, because of my history with the firm, I was very much a known quantity and cultural fit.

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