Richard J. Drake was a Founding Partner of Drake Loeb PLLC and an active attorney with the firm until his retirement in January 2015 after more than fifty years in practice.  Together with his partners, he went on to build two of the most respected law firms in the area - including the present Drake Loeb PLLC. 

The foundation of his law practice was built on his role as bank counsel for many area banks involved in commercial and residential lending, including one of the largest commercial banks in the Hudson Valley. Dick's areas of concentration grew to include business, transactional, and not-for-profit organization matters for many successful businesses including the former public company and retailer A.C. Moore.  Beginning in 1965 and throughout the majority of his legal career, he also served as Attorney for the Town of Newburgh and at various other times as attorney for its Planning Board and Zoning Commission.

While at Drake Loeb PLLC, Dick mentored many associates and partners, teaching them the "ins and outs" of the lending business, title law, corporate transactions, and, most importantly, how to be an effective advocate for their clients.

Drake Loeb PLLC operates under the principle that it is important to support the community in which you live and practice.  Dick lived that principle throughout his career and ensured that his partners and associates understood the importance of supporting organizations likewise committed to the community and the surrounding areas.  It is a tradition that the attorneys at Drake Loeb PLLC continue today.

Dick served as a long-time member of the Board of Directors of the Kaplan Family Foundations and the Geraldine & Warner Refuge Foundation. He was incredibly proud of his long service to St. Luke's Cornwall Hospital, where he served for many years as a Board member and past Chairman of both the Board of Trustees and the St. Luke’s Cornwall Health System Board.

His dedication also extended to donating time to the legal profession by serving as a member and Chairman of the Committee on Character and Fitness, Second Department, Ninth Judicial District, which body interviews and reviews the credentials of aspiring attorneys and makes a recommendation on whether or not the individuals should be admitted to the New York State Bar.  Dick also served as a member of the Independent Judicial Election Qualification Commission, Ninth Judicial District, which body reviews applications for election to the New York State judicial offices. He became a licensed attorney in New York in 1959, and was admitted in various courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court in 1976.

Dick received the John F. McBride Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the Orange County Bar Association in 2011. He was also the recipient of the Distinguished Trustee Award from the United Hospital Fund that same year.