John K. Friedman, Esq.

is an attorney and law professor specializing in corporate law and related disciplines focused on sustainable local businesses.  These include formation, raising and placing investment capital, regulatory compliance, transactional support, and municipal zoning and planning.  Earlier, he was a telecommunications and technology lawyer and senior executive, and has over 25 years experience in legal, operational, finance and technology roles, with extensive experience in domestic and international transactional and regulatory issues. In addition John is on the adjunct faculty of Albany Law School (since 2008) and was a member of the adjunct faculty of the Hofstra University School of Law (2001 through 2008).  He is a frequent lecturer on legal issues concerning the raising of investment capital for sustainable businesses.

Prior to establishing his practice, John helped found Empire One
Telecommunications and served, variously, as its chair, chief executive and general counsel from 1996 until its sale in March 2000.  Prior to founding Empire One, he was associate director of the Columbia Institute for Tele-Information at Columbia University's Graduate School of Business and remains a Senior Affiliated Researcher with the Institute.  John began his career with Century  Communications Corp., an operator of over 50 cable television systems throughout the US where he started as a laborer and rose to become a systems analyst prior to attending law school.  He was a founding member of, and served for 8 years on, the Telecommunications Law Committee of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, and is a current board member and former treasurer of Columbia County Habitat for Humanity.  After serving 3 years as a member of the Columbia County Board of Ethics, he was elected to the Hudson (NY) City Council where he currently chairs the Legal Committee.  He is a member of the Slow Money Alliance, Slow Food USA, the American Agriculture Law Association and the American Bar Association.  He is a member of the New York State Bar and admitted to practice in the Federal District Court for the Southern District of New York.  John received his B.A. in political science from the State University of New York at Albany, and his J.D. from the Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University.