Carolyn Brakey is an accomplished business attorney with a background in mechanical engineering and in-depth knowledge of legal issues related to energy. She has a thorough understanding of Ohio energy law and Ohio’s deregulated energy market. 

After working for several area law firms, Carolyn founded Brakey Law LLC in 2020. She has extensive experience successfully representing plaintiffs in class action lawsuits involving electricity billing issues. For example, she originated a class action lawsuit on behalf of commercial and industrial customers of FirstEnergy Solutions that had paid charges related to the 2014 polar vortex. The case resulted in a $12 million settlement, referred to as the Polar Vortex Settlement.

Carolyn also serves as General Counsel to Brakey Energy, which she owns and operates with her husband Matt Brakey. Brakey Energy was founded in 1999 to provide comprehensive energy management services to Geauga-based manufacturers, but has since expanded to include scores of large energy users that operate throughout the state of Ohio.

In March 2022, Carolyn was appointed to the Geauga County Board of Health and unanimously elected President of the Board in March 2023. She is most proud of being the principal author of the health district’s COVID-19 guidance for schools in August 2022, which resulted in all the county’s public and private schools becoming mask-optional and ending restrictive quarantine procedures. At the time, it was the least restrictive school guidance of any health district in Ohio and influenced surrounding districts.

Carolyn recently graduated from the Jo Ann Davidson Ohio Leadership Institute, which is a program created to encourage and train women in business and civic leadership to assume more prominent roles in government and their communities. She has been named a Rising Star in Ohio by Super Lawyers®. She was honored by Crain’s Cleveland Business as a Notable General Counsel (2021) and as a member of the Forty Under 40 class (2015). 

Carolyn holds a J.D. from the Case Western Reserve University School of Law and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Grove City College. She is admitted to the practice law in all Ohio State Courts, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Carolyn lives in Russell township with her husband Matt and their boy/girl twins. In her free time, you can find Carolyn exploring Geauga County’s parks with her family, attending local political events, participating in 5:30 am spinning classes, or training for her next marathon or half-marathon. She is a member of Fellowship City Church in Bainbridge, where she serves monthly in the children's ministry.