GEORGE PHILLIPS Sr.

, 80

Partner

Astor & Phillips

George Phillips Sr. is still at work because wants to see his investments come to fruition.

The co-founding partner in the downtown firm Astor & Phillips specializes in estate planning and real estate law. During his five decades as an attorney he has come across plenty of good deals, some of which he bought into using money borrowed from wealthy clients and friends.

“This decade has been the best because all my investments take 20 to 30 years to materialize,” Phillips said. “Despite the downturns, I like this decade.”

Apartments are his investment of choice, but he also owns farmland in the Coachella Valley. He has represented many families that made their money in dairy and agriculture, and Phillips applies the farm business model of planting and harvesting to his work: waiting pays off.

Phillips works five days a week, arriving at the firm around 10:30 a.m. and leaving by 6:30 p.m. This schedule allows him to put in a full day at the office while missing the worst of L.A.’s traffic.

“I don’t look at it as work, I look at it as a challenge,” he said. “Someone has to feel wanted or productive. Psychologically, I would think that if you feel unnecessary your desire to live would diminish. People still call me and ask for advice, and after 50 years in practice, you gain a certain wisdom about what not to do.”

After earning an accounting degree, Phillips attended UCLA Law School and graduated in 1956. He and Harry Astor, who died last year, founded their namesake law firm in 1963.

The firm now has 11 lawyers, including Phillips and two of his sons.

Phillips eats cereal for breakfast, raw vegetables for lunch and enjoys a normal dinner. He and his wife walk two and a half miles every morning around their neighborhood in Hancock Park. The exercise session has double benefits his body gets a workout and he bonds with his spouse.

“I’ve been blessed with a great family,” Phillips concluded. “You can’t put a valuation on that.”