Full name: Zoë Deckker
Title or occupation: Solicitor
How long have you been a YPG member: 2 years

Professional Spotlight

Tell us a bit about your background; what is your current role, and why did you decide on a career in the construction industry?

I am a Solicitor in the Construction team at Edwin Coe LLP. Coming from a family of Architects and Architectural Historians, I have always been very interested in the built environment – which I realise is a hugely broad term! From the very beginning of my legal career, I was keen to gain experience of working in Construction Law. My early exposure confirmed that I wanted to stay in this sector: the application of specialist technical knowledge and core legal principles to something tangible is almost totally unique to this area of law.

I now focus on non-contentious work. Non-contentious lawyers are very much part of the project team from inception, and it is incredibly satisfying to be part of the process of getting a project off the ground.

This is a period of enormous change for the industry, and I am lucky to be working within a fantastic and committed team advising on some of the most significant developments in Construction Law.

 

Can you tell us about any specific work you’re currently doing that has any association to JCT and its contracts? 

JCT Contracts are the contract of choice on the majority of projects with which I am involved, and so I am working with JCT in some form every day. As a team, we advise on a lot of Government-funded cladding remediation projects, to which the JCT PCSA and JCT Design and Build are particularly well-suited. At the moment, I am also working on an analysis of the recent hearing of Providence v Hexagon in the Supreme Court; the case really is testament to the importance of JCT to the industry.

 

What are you most proud of about the construction industry as a whole and where do you think it most needs to improve? 

I see the industry facing two main challenges in the immediate future – building safety and incorporating sustainable practices. Interestingly, the way in which each has been approached thus far differs enormously.

Building safety is now heavily legislated, whereas the approach to incorporating ESG principles is much more laissez-faire despite it being such a huge concern to the industry, and the construction sector having a key role to play in ensuring environmental sustainability in the wider economy.

Arguably, ESG goals have been present in the industry for much longer than is often imagined in the form of governance of construction supply chains and challenging bribery, corruption, modern slavery, and human trafficking. However, there is still much to be done in terms of environmental sustainability: in addition to incorporating new technologies, maintaining investment, and changing behaviours and practices, there must be a consistent way to measure and report on meeting those environmental goals. The Restoring Parliament Project is an interesting one to watch!

There is a great deal of uncertainty around both these issues and I do believe lawyers have a key role to play in allocating risk, lessening uncertainty, and therefore helping projects to continue to progress.

 

Does JCT and the Young Professionals Group have a wider role to play in the industry beyond producing contracts?

Absolutely. The construction industry is made up of so many different roles, disciplines and stakeholders.

Encouraging the young construction professionals who will one day go on to shape the industry to exchange perspectives, experiences and concerns can only be beneficial.

 

What else do you hope to gain from YPG membership?

This is a moment of great change in the industry and I am very keen to broaden my experiences within it. I would love to see the creation of specific interest groups – for example, for those interested in historic buildings, which present a unique set of opportunities and challenges – and events such as site visits.

 

What are you reading, listening to, or watching that you’d recommend?

I am rediscovering the Golden Age of detective fiction while commuting. I enjoy reading about 1920s London while travelling through London in the 2020s.

 

Do you have any hobbies?

I play the cello with the wonderful Kensington Symphony Orchestra, have enjoyed boxing since discovering it at University, and have recently (re)taken up ballet. As well, I love exploring London’s buildings, galleries and museums.

 

Favourite place you’ve travelled?

Brasilia; it is such a beautiful city, with an incredibly distinctive architecture primarily by Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer. As a modernist, planned city, the way in which it is experienced is completely different from a city such as London, where I grew up. There are also plenty of gorgeous natural reserves to explore nearby.