Breaking Barriers: A Lawyer’s Unlikely Path to General Counsel
Roux’s General Counsel (GC), Amy O’Connell, was recently profiled by Axiom, recounting her unlikely yet successful path to law. While studying Secondary Education at Stony Brook University, her plans did not include law school until she was encouraged by an advisor who was impressed by her strong academic record. Amy went on to be the first in her family to earn an undergraduate degree and attended the Hofstra University School of Law.
“[Law school] broadened my horizons to understand how legal education could provide the foundation to understanding business and how legal theory is employed practically. For me, it feels like I was meant to be an in-house attorney,” she recounted.
While earning her law degree and working as a legal assistant at Manchester Technologies, Amy bypassed the traditional law firm path and was hired as corporate counsel after graduating. At the same technology company, she inherited the GC’s responsibilities and became an invited member of the executive board by age 28. In search of mentorship opportunities, she then served eight years as Associate General Counsel for Sleepy’s, contributing to the growth of the organization from less than $100M to over $1 billion in annual revenue. In this role, Amy became well-versed in a wide range of legal issues. In her current role as GC and legal chief of Roux, she acts as advisor to the Board of Directors, counseling and supporting all business units for the past ten years.
Upon reaching her ten-year anniversary at Roux just a few weeks ago, Amy shared, “It’s a family-oriented company, and truly values its employees. The founder still comes here, and he’s the most down-to-earth, generous man. I am consistently challenged to explore new issues that arise in the business, so I learn something new all the time. […] I have learned so much about environmental law, but have also been exposed to so many other types of law that impact our business.”
Amy is truly an asset to Roux, a trusted advisor, and a valued mentor of Roux’s mentorship program. Championing and teaching others are among her priorities at Roux, ultimately encouraging staff to take a proactive approach to project management and preventing legal disputes. “People often think that, because I’m an attorney, I like to fight to win,” she remarked. “But really, I like to solve problems and achieve goals of the organization and its people.”
