Acting today, for a better tomorrow. This was the motive behind Jessica Fitzpatrick’s decision to ‘jump ship’, taking a leap of faith from her Architecture career into the world of Construction Law. Whether it’s conducting a risk analysis on major city projects, being an internal legal advisor to Hickory Group, or conducting education seminars, Jessica’s days are incredibly diverse.
Jessica discovered her passion for law when working as an Architect, after a major project went on hold due to a contract dispute. She quickly realised she was more interested in those legal proceedings than she would ever be in selecting finishes. “So I took a leap of faith before really thinking about what it would mean to restart a career in my late 20’s. I just did it knowing it was what I wanted to do.” Recalling this as the best career decision she has made to date. Jessica emphasises the importance of finding fulfillment in your role, leading her to champion one of Hickory’s largest education pieces, the Legal Seminars Series.
With its driving purpose to Develop our People, these seminars break down specific legal topics, enabling the wider business to develop a deeper understanding of the law. “It’s all about sharing and building knowledge. Knowledge leads to empowerment. we want to empower teams as much as possible.”
For Jessica, this experience has also allowed her to spearhead a new dimension of her role “Teaching is the best way to learn anything, so taking a legal concept and translating it into a seminar has been a fantastic experience, I’ve done seminar-based teaching over the years and every time I do, it just gets better and better.” This initiative not only encapsulates Jessica’s eagerness to empower others but also mirrors Hickory’s core value of Developing People; The best teams have the best people and to have the best people, we must help our people grow.
Reflecting back on her decision to enter construction law, Jessica urges those thinking about entering the discipline to give it a go, “Don’t be hard on yourself; it’s a marathon not a sprint”. When asking what Jessica’s ‘Why?’ was, she explained Construction Law was a mesh of her two passions; law and architecture. “It was about trying to connect that initial passion I have for the industry, with my new legal skillset. The way the world works, you need to find a niche. It’s a bonus if you can find something that your good at and that you love doing. This is unique, and this is where you’ll thrive.” Our inhouse legal capabilities are integral to Hickory’s success, Jessica is a key contributor to our in-house legal team, helping to build a strong future for Hickory. Creating better places for future communities begins within our own, acting today for a better tomorrow enables our people to excel.