Amy Cann is the founder of Cann Law, PC, a business, employment, and privacy law firm based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, serving clients across New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts. She is a recognized member of Best Lawyers and a faculty member at the University of New Hampshire, where she has taught for more than a decade.
I asked Amy what led her to start her own firm.
"I had already built a consulting company from scratch," she told me. "I quit a six-figure job, started from zero as a single parent, and made it work. So when I decided to leave a large firm and start my own law practice, I wasn't scared. I knew how to do it."
Before law school, Amy spent years in HR, health, and safety consulting which gave her a deep understanding of employment law, business operations, and how people actually function under pressure. She went to law school while running her consulting company, graduated, and eventually joined a large regional firm. It wasn't a fit.
"I just really enjoyed being self-employed," she said. "You have control. You can make decisions. If I'm sympathetic to someone's story, I can discount my hourly rate. If I don't like a client, they're out of here. It gives you more control because you're not beholden to anyone else's judgment."
She launched Cann Law in April 2024 and built her team the same way she built her consulting company - by finding the right people and investing in them. Her first hire came through LinkedIn, a law student who reached out on her own. She's been with Amy for more than a year and a half and is now joining the firm as an attorney.
Amy's background in HR shapes how she leads. She addresses conflict early and directly because she's learned it's the only approach that actually works.
"People don't appreciate if you're beating around the bush. They just want to hear it direct. Just be respectful and direct."
That same investment goes into how she develops her team. She teaches, she delegates, and she gives people room to grow, even when that means they might eventually move on.
"I try to make sure they're learning. The more they know, the better and I don't want to hold people back just because of that."
Are you a small business, employer, or individual dealing with a legal matter in New Hampshire, Maine, or Massachusetts? Connect with Amy M. Cann, Esq. and check out Cann Law, P.C.