Episode 25-Thirty Years of Biglaw Wisdom

Back in the early 1990s when I was at Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, I worked with some great volunteers who were very generous with their time.  These were leaders of the bar who were committed to training the next generation of lawyers.  While there were many lawyers who were ready willing and able to share their advice, there were a few volunteers who really stood out for their deep commitment to professional development.  John Hession was one of those lawyers. At the time, John was a corporate partner at the law firm Testa Hurwitz and Thibeault.   John was always game to plan and deliver the next CLE program or sit and discuss our corporate curriculum.   He was also integrally involved in the internal training program at his own firm, Testa all while maintaining a busy corporate practice representing VCs and other entities. Since that time, John has traveled through a number of major law firms. He helped open the Boston office of Cooley.  In 2015, he joined Morse, a mid-sized firm with offices in Boston, Cambridge and Waltham. John is an acknowledged authority in the emerging company and venture capital fields, has served as a business strategist and as a legal adviser to more than 400 emerging growth companies.  John has advised these companies on all phases of the enterprise life cycle, from cradle to culmination. He is also the consummate mentor and writes the best out of office messages I’ve ever read. John is now at a stage in his career where he is focusing a significant amount of his time helping up-and-coming talent at his firm to advance their careers. I recently had coffee with John and asked him what junior associates should be thinking about in deciding where to practice.  John had some great advice and when I asked him to join me on Counsel to Counsel, it was no surprise that he said yes. Other Resources Canoeing vs. Whitewater Rafting-A Career Conversation with Jose Sierra (a podcast) Advancing Your Law Firm Career (a podcast)Career Paths: Mapping Out Your Future (Program Notes from a Boston Bar Association Panel Discussion)