Gary Van Rooyan
“I truly enjoy supporting the growth and expansion of a company. I view the role of General Counsel as an advisor, a coach, and an enabler. It is exciting and rewarding to help a corporation meet their potential. Often start-up, small, and entrepreneurial organizations cannot afford a full-time GC. I make it possible for these companies to realize their goals, without the high overhead.”
Gary Van Rooyan, P.C.
In 2003 Gary established the Law Office of Gary Van Rooyan.
U S Liquid, Inc. – General Counsel
In 1998 he became Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of U S Liquids Inc., a publicly traded liquid waste and environmental services company headquartered in Houston.
Browning-Ferris Industries (BFI) – Senior Corporate Counsel
In 1986 Mr. Van Rooyan was hired by Browning-Ferris Industries (BFI) as legal counsel for the company's East Coast operations headquartered in Baltimore. He returned to Houston in 1993 to head BFI's Southern Region legal staff and coordinate their environmental compliance function. Three years later he was asked to join BFI's corporate legal department, where he continued to manage the Southern Region's legal matters, assist with the company’s acquisitions and provide legal services to the company's Central and South American operations.
Dresser Industries – Senior Counsel
Dresser Industries then employed Gary to manage the legal function for their oilfield services operations, where he focused a significant part of his practice on employment and environmental law issues and the drafting and review of contracts with major oil and gas companies.
Cooper Industries – Senior Attorney
In 1980 Gary Van Rooyan relocated to Houston, Texas to join the law department of Cooper Industries, assuming responsibility for two of Cooper's largest divisions and their Canadian operations, which he helped the company acquire.
Private Practice – Johnson, Oalkey & Van Rooyan
Upon graduation, Mr. Van Rooyan entered private practice with a firm in Eastern Iowa, representing local, regional and national companies in a variety of matters.
Education and Military Service
Mr. Van Rooyan received his undergraduate education at the University of Iowa and Coe College, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, in Business Management and Accounting in 1968. After serving in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War, he returned to law school at the University of Iowa, where he received his Doctor of Jurisprudence, with high honors, in 1975.
Community Service
Throughout his career, Mr. Van Rooyan has been active in organizations such as the Special Olympics, Chamber of Commerce, Junior Achievement, the YMCA, Civitan, the United Way and Rotary Club and has served on the Boards of many of those organizations.
