Lovegrove and Cotton 30th Anniversary Event and the Heralding of the Next Generation.

31 Jul 2023

On the 26 July 2023, Lovegrove and Cotton celebrated the firm’s 30 year journey with fellow travellers, clients current and past, and close friends and associates.

The occasion also signified the “passing of the torch”, with Ziggy Lovegrove and Justin Cotton assuming the mantle of leadership for decades to come.

Over the past 30 years, Lovegrove and Cotton has garnered a reputation as a preeminent Australian construction law firm. The firm’s reputation and legacy is built on heritage and expertise in construction law which is gaining momentum.

The event also afforded Justin and Ziggy the opportunity to explain how some of those within the firm have contributed to law reform in Australia and internationally for nigh on three decades; whether it be through the deployment of some of those within it in high level law reform initiatives with the World Bank, State and Territory governments, or the Chairing of international thought leadership hubs, such as the International Building Quality Centre.

There has also been commitment to Africa as Lovegrove and Cotton sponsored the Ethiopian Consulate to Victoria and allowed Kim to go offline to serve as Honorary Consul and Ziggy as a Consular Attaché.

It would be remiss of us to neglect the opportunity to say thank you to members of the Victorian Bar and the building consultancy fraternity that provide a vital role in best practice client service ecology. We took this opportunity to express our gratitude.

The below collage captures the current, the future and the past and a trip down memory lane.

“The team” (l-r) Ahmad, Ziggy, Justin, Kim, and Cameron. Cameron and Justin have bottles of Penfolds Grange that were handed to Kim. A great wine for a great occasion.
Ahmad, Cameron, Justin and Ziggy with gifts presented to the firm and the event cake.
Stephen Kip with Ziggy. Stephen is one of Victoria’s preeminent fire engineers. A quarter of a century association with the firm and still our ‘go to’ fire engineering expert. Kim and Stephen go way back and used to appear in practitioner advocacy matters in the NSW administrative tribunal in the late 1990’s.
Kim here with old friend Brian Boyd, past Secretary to the Victorian Trades Hall Council. Kim and Brian have known each other for 30 years and are both Latrobe alumni.
Michael Kelaart and Steve Bright, President Victorian chapter HIA
Lucy Loccisano, John Loccisano, Pas Daniele and Matthew Hook
NSW barrister Evangeline Arulrajah who flew in from Sydney for the event with Oscar Florenini, a compadre of Kim for nearly 50 years.
Ziggy with Auckland Law School alumni; Nick Bell-Booth, Harley Napier, and Kim. Close friends since 1977. Harley said about the firm ‘large enough to matter, small enough to care’.
Trent Valentine, Ivan Krizmanic and Justin Cotton.
The party getting started.
Nick a lawyer in New Zealand, more than a decade ago was a COO for Lovegrove and Cotton.
Professor Bob Whittaker AM – Past National President AIB, Deputy Chair of the International Building Quality Centre and an old friend of Kim. Both are Adjunct Professors at the University of Canberra
Bob and Kim go back a quarter of a century, to the time when Kim was President of the AIB Vic Chapter. They helped establish the International Building Quality Centre which has had a global impact on the development of best practice building control thought leadership.
Nick, Harley, Justin, Simon, Kim, and Bob.
Two of Victorian’s finest, construction barristers Ben Reid and Dominic Triaca.
Victorian bar raise your hands
Ben Reid and David Pumpa, who is also a Victorian barrister.
Gideon van der Westhuizen; Bendigo and District Aboriginal Co-Operative and past COO of the firm with Kim, Ziggy, Evangeline, and Brian Boyd.
Brian Donovan and Kim – in the 1990’s Brian headed up the IT Skills Hub, which at the time was one of the major clients of Lovegrove solicitors. Kim and Brian remain close friends to this day. Kim also introduced Brian to his wife Ruth 20 years ago.
Liz and John Coghlan of Buildspect Consulting. John’s father, the late John Coghlan AM established the previous iteration of the firm more than three decades ago. John Senior was a friend of Kim and afforded him wise counsel as a young man.
Bre Cross and David Murphy of DJM. David is a preeminent Victorian building surveyor, footy tragic and foundation client dating back to the 1990’s.
Brett Rogers, Director of Baracon. Like Kim, was a President of the Australian Institute of Building (Victorian Chapter). Kim and Brett have known each other for the better part of a quarter of a century.
Ahmad, Cameron, Ziggy, Tessa, Kim, Justin, and Brendan.
Janice and Glenn Jones of Boston Group Consulting Services with Ziggy.
Justin with Simon Libbis, Manager of Ethics Department at the Law Institute of Victoria.
Cameron Wade and Ahmad Ali of Lovegrove and Cotton
Jonathan Halaliku, along with Steve Williams who was Lovegrove and Cotton alumni and like Kim an old Melbournian (Melbourne Grammar) and Justin Cotton
Miro Djuric of Aurecon Australasia (Lovegrove and Cotton alumni) and Victorian barrister Tony Thomas
Stephen Linkin and Richard McCoid of Extensions Unlimited
The lads – all supporters of fine rugby and fine reds
Justin with Stephen Ryan, former MBS for the city of Port Phillip. Lovegrove Solicitors used to do the majority of prosecution of building regulatory offences for the City of Port Phillip. The relationship with Steve goes back a quarter of a century.
Gil King, previous Chief Executive of the HIA Victorian Chapter and REIV
Ian Anlezark, Principal of BCA Certifiers Australian Capital Territory, a foundation client dating back to the mid 1990’s, and Ziggy.
The Justin Cotton address
Tsigereda and Kim Lovegrove, the founder on the right and the torch bearer going forward on the left. An Ethiopian and a New Zealander both of whom are grateful Australian citizens.

Click here to see Ziggy Lovegrove 30th Anniversary Event Speech

For more articles on the 30 year milestone of Lovegrove and Cotton, please see:

1993-2023: 30 years of Construction Lawyering and a New Generation Coming Through