Richard Uchida, a partner at Hinckley Allen in Concord, NH, has been appointed Vice President, and General Counsel of his alma mater, Colby College, effective July 15, 2017. In this multifaceted role, Uchida will serve as the college’s first general counsel and will be the primary liaison between the Board of Trustees and Colby’s administration. He will also be responsible for strategic projects in cooperation with Colby President, David A. Greene.
A graduate of Colby College in Waterville, ME and Franklin Pierce Law Center (now University of New Hampshire School of Law), Uchida was admitted to the bar in 1984. During his 30-year career, he has concentrated in real estate matters, including commercial and residential real estate development, real estate and business acquisitions and sales, general business representation, advice and counseling, zoning, and planning, including governmental permitting and approvals and general commercial litigation. He has also advised New Hampshire lawyers and law firms on professional conduct/ethics matters and has represented attorneys in the lawyer discipline process for over 20 years.
“As I move on to a new phase of my career, I’ll remember my time at Hinckley Allen and my decades of practice in New Hampshire with gratitude for the lasting relationships I have built with my clients and my colleagues, as well as members of the bar and the judiciary, and state and local officials” Uchida said. “I am humbled by the opportunity to work alongside talented people at Colby College who are committed to helping young people fulfill their potential and make a profound impact on their world. I’m looking forward to applying what I’ve learned in more than 30 years of legal practice to foster the next generation of leadership.”
Uchida’s civic and community involvement is considerable. He has served as Vice Chair of the Colby College Board of Trustees, an Adjunct Professor and former trustee at UNH School of Law, a member of the New Hampshire Judicial Council, and co-chair of the New Hampshire Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission. In addition, Uchida has served as the president of the New Hampshire Bar Association, a member of the New Hampshire Bar Association Ethics Committee, and is a recipient of the Bar Association’s 2009 Award for Outstanding Commitment to Legal Services for the Poor and the 1998 Award for Distinguished Service to the Legal Profession, as well as the 2012 Honorary Fellow of the New Hampshire Bar Foundation. He remains the only attorney who has received the New Hampshire Construction Industry Ethics Award, and was named Lawyer of the Year in Merrimack County in 2001. In the community, he also chairs the board of trustees of the Capitol Center for the Arts, among other honors. He is also a much sought after lecturer.
“We fully support Richard as he begins this exciting new chapter in his professional life at his alma mater that is so dear to him” said David J. Rubin, Managing Partner at Hinckley Allen. “As an attorney and business advisor, Richard has consistently provided value and delivered exceptional results for his clients. He has been an exemplary partner and mentor to younger colleagues at Hinckley Allen. I have no doubt that he will excel in this new role. While he will be missed at Hinckley Allen, we wish Richard all the best in his new role at Colby College.”