Anne O'Connell is the Founder and Principal of Anne O'Connell Solicitors (AOC Solicitors), a boutique employment law firm based in Dublin. With over two decades of experience in employment law, Anne has built a reputation as a trusted advisor to both employers and employees, handling complex workplace disputes, high-profile litigation, and strategic HR matters.
Since establishing AOC Solicitors in 2017, Anne has led the firm's growth from a three-person team to a thriving practice of nine, including five solicitors and a dedicated Practice Manager. The firm is widely recognised for its specialist expertise, client-focused approach, and forward-thinking culture, offering tailored legal solutions in all areas of employment law.
Under Anne's leadership, AOC Solicitors has become one of Ireland's leading boutique employment law practices, earning recognition from Legal 500 as a Tier 2 firm and achieving a five-star client satisfaction ranking. Known for its emphasis on teamwork, inclusivity, and innovation, the firm continues to set itself apart in Ireland's competitive legal landscape.
Winning Female-Led Law Firm of the Year is no small feat. What does this recognition mean to you personally and to the firm as a whole?
Winning Female-Led Law Firm of the Year is an incredible honour that means a great deal both personally and professionally. For me, it's a powerful affirmation of the decision to set up my own boutique employment law firm in 2017 and the years of dedication, resilience, and vision it has taken from our team as a whole to grow and develop the firm. Since the formation of AOC Solicitors, it has grown from a team of three with only one solicitor to the current team of nine, five of whom are solicitors, together with a dedicated Practice Manager.
Any time someone refers to me having set up on my own, I always correct them—I didn't set up on my own; I had a lot of help and support from the start. I believe that strength is in a team and that our firm's strength lies in the team we have built—a wheel needs its spokes to turn.
As a firm, we are all delighted to receive this award, as it recognises the forward-thinking culture we have tried to foster since our establishment in 2017.
Take us back to the beginning; what inspired the creation of AOC Solicitors, and how did your founding values shape the culture of the firm today?
The inspiration to start the firm came from a desire to create a legal practice that not only delivered exceptional results for clients but also redefined what leadership, inclusivity, and integrity look like in the legal profession. I wanted to build something different: a firm where collaboration was prioritised over competition and where values mattered as much as outcomes.
From day one, our founding values—excellence, authenticity, accountability, and respect—have been the backbone of our culture. They influence everything from how we approach client relationships to how we nurture our team. Those early principles created a foundation of trust and purpose, and they continue to guide us as we grow.
What are some of the unique challenges and advantages you've encountered as a female-led legal team in Ireland's legal landscape?
I think that setting up and leading your own firm is always very challenging, but thankfully it has also been hugely rewarding. The challenges we have encountered will likely mirror those of most other new firms trying to establish themselves in a competitive market.
It has been a real pleasure to navigate those challenges together as a team where everyone's voice matters and everyone values the importance of good communication and collaboration. This helps to create an environment conducive to dealing with any challenges that arise.
When setting up the firm, I drew inspiration from the quote by Kobi Yamada: "She turned her 'can'ts into 'cans', her dreams into plans," and this quote kept me going when faced with challenges. I would also add to this quote that, with the support of my team, "she turned her plans into reality."
The legal sector isn't always known for rapid evolution. How has AOC Solicitors managed to challenge industry norms and redefine what leadership looks like?
When AOC Solicitors was established in 2017, boutique employment law firms were not the norm. I felt employment law had the potential to lend itself well to such a setting. Thankfully, this proved to be the case and, through the hard work of our team and loyalty of our clients, we managed to challenge the norm by establishing ourselves within the market and growing the firm to what it is today.
In terms of redefining leadership, we believe that real leadership is about promoting and supporting teamwork, and we try to adopt that approach in our day-to-day work. We also try to maintain an environment where all team members (regardless of seniority) communicate openly about aspects of their work that are going well and aspects they are finding challenging. This allows us all to both help and learn from each other.
We try to be forward-thinking and flexible in the approach we take to how we work. For example, when the firm was established in 2017, most law firms still operated in a very traditional workspace with traditional working hours. Our firm is proud to have been ahead of its time in introducing options such as remote and flexible working very soon after our establishment, and long before Covid. These benefits have helped us along the way in attracting and retaining the right people for the right roles.
You're clearly paving the way for future female leaders in law. How important is mentorship within your firm, and how do you ensure women continue to rise through the ranks?
Mentorship is absolutely central to our firm's ethos—it's not just something we encourage, it's something we actively build into our structure and culture. I remind new members of our team that "the only stupid question is the question that you do not ask."
We believe that true leadership isn't just about reaching the top; it's about holding the door open for others to follow. That mindset drives everything we do when it comes to supporting the next generation of female leaders in law.
We ensure women continue to rise through the ranks by creating clear, transparent pathways to leadership, offering meaningful development opportunities, and pairing junior lawyers with mentors who are invested in their growth. We focus on more than just technical skill—we nurture confidence, resilience, and strategic thinking.
What does a modern, inclusive, and high-performing legal workplace look like to you, and how have you built that at AOC Solicitors?
To me, a modern, inclusive, and high-performing legal workplace is one where diversity is genuinely valued, voices are heard at every level, and people feel empowered to bring their whole selves to work—without compromising on excellence. It's an environment where collaboration thrives, innovation is encouraged, and success is measured not just by billable hours or outcomes, but by the wellbeing, growth, and engagement of the team.
At AOC Solicitors, we foster a collaborative and inclusive work environment that values diversity and empowers our team to reach their full potential. We meet as a team at least three times a week, and these meetings are invaluable in terms of ensuring good communication and efficiencies in circumstances where we operate on a hybrid working model. However, we also utilise these meetings to put our heads together and tease out any complex issues that any of us are considering in relation to a particular case. This allows us to harness a combined total of over five decades of specialist Employment Law experience and apply it to any complicated legal issue our clients encounter.
We also have regular dedicated Team Days to review how we operate as a team and how best to work together to optimise team performance. We believe that a positive and motivated team translates into better service for our clients. When people feel respected, heard, and valued, they do their best work—and that's the culture we've worked hard to build.
What's one piece of advice you wish you could give your younger self and today's aspiring female lawyers?
One piece of advice I wish I could give my younger self—and every aspiring female lawyer today—is this: trust your gut and have confidence in your own ability. You don't need validation from everyone.
In the early stages of your career, it's easy to feel like you have to constantly prove yourself or seek validation before believing in yourself and your abilities. But the truth is, your perspective, your intuition, and your ideas are valuable right now—regardless of what others think.
Also, don't underestimate the power of community. Surround yourself with people who challenge and uplift you, seek out mentors, and don't be afraid to be a mentor to others, even as you're growing. Success in law doesn't have to come at the expense of authenticity, compassion, or balance. You can lead with strength and still stay true to who you are.
What's next for AOC Solicitors? Are there any exciting developments, expansions, or areas of innovation we should keep an eye on?
We're incredibly excited about what's next for the firm. As we continue to grow, our focus remains on strategic expansion, innovation, and deepening our impact—both for our clients and within the legal profession.
We're investing to enhance efficiency, collaboration, and client experience, and we have made significant advances this year in our understanding of AI and how it can/should be utilised by law firms.
We were delighted to retain our ranking as a Tier 2 Firm by Legal 500 (the only boutique employment law practice to be ranked at that level). We were also honoured to have been ranked by Legal 500 in 2024 as a Leading Firm for Client Satisfaction with a five-star rating. Of the 31 employment law firms ranked by Legal 500 in Ireland, we are one of just five to receive this accolade. We hope to maintain these rankings in the year ahead.
But perhaps most importantly, we're committed to continuing our work around inclusion, leadership development, and culture-building—ensuring our firm remains a place where top talent thrives, and where the next generation of legal leaders is actively nurtured.
So yes—exciting things are on the horizon. We're growing with purpose, and we can't wait to share what's coming next.
