BACK TO A DAY IN THE LIFE

Day in the life - James Rooney

I am a trainee Solicitor based in Toronto. I joined Systech in 2018 as a paralegal, working in the London office on a wide range of projects. I was then given the opportunity to move to Toronto in the summer of 2019 where I am currently working as a contract advisor, providing quality assurance expertise by reviewing and amending technical contract documents prior to their issue for tender. In addition to this, I also provide support to the commercial continuous improvements group within the clients organisation.

What is your typical day?

One of the benefits of working in-house for a Systech client is that my working day will vary depending on where my support is needed. In my role as quality assurance lead, I typically spend a lot of time reading and discussing contractual issues with the project delivery teams, to reduce the risk of claims on our projects. Meanwhile, providing support to the commercial improvement group has given me the opportunity to get involved in issues beyond the legal sphere, such as drafting training materials for the client’s employees or creating new work procedures for the wider business.

What are the interesting aspects of your work?

Before I came to Canada, I had a very Euro-centric understanding of construction matters, with the bulk of my experience coming in relation to FIDIC, JCT and NEC contracts for projects based in the UK and Northern Europe. It has been exciting for me to be able to grow my understanding of a different construction market, the variety of contracts which are used here and the issues which arise from them.

What are the challenges?

There are always challenges in any role, particularly when that role is your first in a new continent. Getting to know new colleagues and understand the nuances of working culture in Canada compared to the UK has been both challenging and rewarding. This has been accentuated by the impact of Covid-19 and I believe the challenges all of us have faced in the last year, in adapting to the new normal, will stand us in good stead for the future.

What training and support has Systech given you?

I joined Systech two months after finishing my postgraduate degree in law, so it goes without saying I appreciated all the support I could get in my early days with the firm. From day one my colleagues have helped me grow my legal and commercial understanding of construction matters through seminars, round table discussions and most importantly, by giving me responsibility for a wide variety of work.

Furthermore, Systech has given me the support I need to progress in the legal profession, by allowing me to study and sit the SQE examinations while working, so that I can qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales.

What words of advice would you offer someone thinking of working for Systech?

If you are approaching Systech as someone with a legal background, then you need to have an open mind. Given lawyers usually qualify to practice in a single jurisdiction, often we have a hesitancy when confronted with the prospect of stepping outside of our comfort zones to work in a different jurisdiction. It is important that you are open to the prospect of working across the world in client facing positions.

What is the culture like?

Given the client-facing nature of much of my time with Systech, I have seen that there is often a very positive collective mentality among the Systech team on each project. From a wider perspective, the nature of the business means that there is a relatively horizontal relationship between all Systech staff, which makes bringing questions and queries to your colleagues much less daunting.

How has working for Systech helped you achieve your career goals?

I studied law in Scotland and so had a limited knowledge of English construction law matters and was not qualified to practice in England or Wales. Working for Systech, has allowed me to develop my commercial understanding of construction matters, and expand my understanding of a niche practice area and ultimately I will qualify in England and Wales.

What makes working for Systech different from the competition?

The major difference is that you will be working closely with expert engineers, claims experts and solicitors, to provide a full range of advice in a much more integrated environment than most firms. In many ways working for Systech is similar to working in-house for a company, but with the added dynamic of day-to-day client interactions when you are sent to overseas projects.

What has been your greatest achievement working for Systech?

I believe my greatest achievement has been to develop from a graduate junior paralegal in the London office in summer 2018, to managing my own team within the client organisation on a multi-billion dollar rail infrastructure program half way across the world. To me this demonstrates the support, responsibility and trust which Systech is willing to give to its newer employees, if you’re willing to work hard.

Tell us about a project where you have learnt a key lesson?

A valuable lesson that I have learned while in Toronto is that we should do all that we can to resolve claims efficiently rather than allowing them to snowball into wider issues over time. I have found that this can be best achieved by inserting simple and effective information recording and response processes around claims management systems.

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