Insights Articles

MEET BRIAN ROBERTS

Chief Legal Officer and EVP Business Development | Phoenix, Arizona
You want to work with people you trust, who are responsive, and who help you find solutions to problems. Array is full of people who embody these attributes and want to help.

What is your role at Array? What is a typical day like for you?

I Represent Array with any legal services it needs as an organization. Roughly 20% of my time is spent representing Array, which is primarily corporate legal matters like contracts and governance. The rest of my time is spent on business development and introducing my network of inhouse lawyers and outside counsel to the vast array of services we offer (pun intended).

Why do you do this type of work? What do you like about your job?

I’ve been practicing corporate law for 25 years now and I love the constructive, team-based aspect of practicing in this area. I love supporting entrepreneurs and business people who are building and growing something and I especially love working with people who are all pulling in the same direction.

I also enjoy meeting new people, learning about their business and personal interests, and learning about what motivates them. The role I’m in at Array is perfect for me because it combines all of these together – we’re building something special at Array with a great group of people and I also get the opportunity to meet and interact with new people every day.

What is an example of your most creative or impactful work?

For me, the most creative thing I do is help solve problems, which can be the most impactful as well. I’ve seen quite a few problems over the years and my advice to colleagues and clients is never to suffer in silence. Reach out to me or someone you’re close to and share the issues you’re working through. Many times they’re not as bad as you think they are and there is always a solution.

What do you think is the "Array Advantage"? Why do clients trust Array?

In everything I’ve ever done in my career, it always comes down to people. You want to work with people you trust, who are responsive, and who help you find solutions to problems. Array is full of people who embody these attributes and want to help.

Describe Array in five words or less.

Helpful, creative, responsive, growing, fun.

What did you do before Array? How do you apply that experience to your work today?

This is my 4th general counsel role – iGo, Grand Canyon University, SmartRent and now Array. Even though these are all different businesses in different industries, they all encounter similar challenges that need to be solved on a daily basis. I’ve always said that my job is to put myself out of business – if all of the problems are solved then there is no need for my role anymore.

But after 25 years, I haven’t worked my way out of a job yet because there’s always a new challenge to solve. Having been around awhile though, I’m able to draw on similar situations that have arisen in the past and hopefully help get to the solution a little quicker.

What are you most likely up to when you are off-the-clock?

Golfing and hanging out with my family. I have two beautiful daughters and an amazing wife (who tolerates me). One of my daughters just graduated high school and is heading to Northern Arizona University in the fall and the other is starting high school. Growing up in a family of all boys, I’m constantly learning how to navigate the world of teenage daughters. So far, so good, but I have to admit that it’s probably because of their mom.

What is something that would surprise people about you?

I used to be a break dancer and my name was Sir Tic A Lot. We were the best breakdancing group in Lawrence, Kansas.

What is the most recent thing you learned about or taught yourself to do?

Pickleball – I couldn’t avoid it anymore since everyone I know is playing and raving about it. It really is a lot of fun and I’m looking forward to playing more. Any sport you can play with a cocktail is good by me. I’m still struggling with why you start the game 0-0-2 though!

Our team at Array is supported by industry-leading experts like Brian who consistently apply creativity, dedication and experience in everything they do to solve our clients’ problems and exceed their expectations.