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Q&A: Worcester native returns from London to help immigrant businesses
photo | courtesy of Margaret Asante
Margaret Asante, associate at Mirick O'Connell in Worcester, alongside her family
By Sloane M. Perron
Margaret Asante is a first-generation American born to Ghanaian immigrant parents. Always a bright and ambitious child, Asante had big dreams. Her education and career took her to London where she established herself as a business lawyer focused on corporate governance and finance. While Asante was climbing the corporate ladder abroad, she decided to return home to her family in Worcester. Her goal has always been to use her legal acumen to benefit local business owners, especially immigrant entrepreneurs who defied the odds to build successful legacies.
What inspired you to be a lawyer?
I grew up here in Worcester and originally wanted to be a doctor because I did well in school. My family is from Ghana, and like most immigrant families, they want you to be a doctor or a lawyer. I went to Spelman College, a historically Black college for women, and it was my first time being surrounded by so many ambitious and high-achieving Black women. They had high dreams of being Congresspeople and judges, and I had never heard people say those kinds of dreams aloud.
I did a couple of internships my first year with doctors, but I did not like the vibe of being in a hospital and needed to choose a different path. Then I met some lawyers who were Spelman alums, and the way they carried themselves and articulated themselves inspired me to be a lawyer.
I did an internship program through St. John's School of Law in New York and through that program, I interned for a Kings County Supreme Court judge. I remember the first day the judge walked in, and put on her judge robe. Right then I knew I wanted to be a lawyer.
How did your career journey take you from Worcester to London and back again?
When I was a senior at Spelman, I applied to do my master's degree in London because it looked fun. Originally, I thought I would only be there for a year, but one year turned into eight. London is a financial capital of the world; there is so much going on there, and I learned so much.
I received my master’s degree and law degree from the University of London and joined the esteemed international law firm Allen & Overy. I worked in the finance department on a lot of international deals. We did work with a bauxite mine in Guinea, hydro plants in Cameroon, and wind farms in Kenya. I was even sent to Paris a couple times.
I had met my husband in London, and after having our first-born, I wanted to return home to my family in Worcester. I studied for my LL.M degree at Northeastern University and just recently passed the Massachusetts bar exam.
How do your international experiences benefit the Worcester community?
I am a child of immigrants, but moving to another country where I was an American helped me see things as an immigrant in a new way. Also, because my husband is British, watching him integrate helps me have further empathy for people from all different walks of life. I am able to see things in a different way.
After working with multinationals and big financial institutions, I wanted to work with smaller entrepreneurs who reminded me of my mother, who started her own real estate brokerage firm after immigrating. Through Mirick O’Connell, I found a unicorn job where I get to do very high-level work with amazing lawyers, but I am working with companies who are closer to the real community. The thing that inspired me to be a lawyer, that keeps me going as a corporate and commercial lending lawyer, is the hard-working spirit of the people in Worcester who built legacies for themselves and their families.
What advice would you give to aspiring young attorneys, especially women of color?
Learn from every single opportunity. Those pieces of advice people give you, take it and craft who you want to be as a professional.
For people of color, I know people's prejudices are real in this world, but it is not useful to carry that baggage around all the time. It is heavy, so I think the best you can do is craft yourself to the kind of professional you want to be. Seek out mentorship from people who will give it to you straight. There are even perceptions against working mothers. Just do your best, and those who like you will support you regardless of where you are from.
You can find mentors anywhere. Remember, mentors do not need to look like you or be your gender or your race to support you. Continually learn and then stretch yourself into growing opportunities. Try for things even if you're not sure you will get them. Just try.
This interview was conducted and edited for length and clarity by WBJ Correspondent Sloane M. Perron.
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