Tsigereda Lovegrove: A Journey, from Ethiopia to Australia, to Construction Lawyer.
A Profile on Tsigereda Lovegrove From Ethiopia to Australia, from Amharic to English and from Admin to running a legal practice – the journey to date and continuing
Tsigereda left Ethiopia in 2009. After an initial period of 4 months in Auckland, New Zealand, with her late mother-in-law, Tsigereda Lovegrove settled in Australia. She learned English as her second language and set her sights on a career in law.
Building a Career at Lovegrove & Cotton
Starting as a receptionist at Lovegrove & Cotton Lawyers in 2011, Tsigereda worked her way up within Lovegrove & Cotton, which was established in 1993 by the writer.
Balancing Education and Professional Responsibilities
While working at the firm, Tsigereda embarked on an LLB at Victoria University. She balanced her studies with her role as Office Manager and Financial Controller, overseeing the firm’s financial and administrative operations. This experience laid a solid foundation for her future roles.
Transitioning to Legal Practice
After completing her law degree, Tsigereda became a Construction Lawyer and Practice Manager at Lovegrove & Cotton. With 11 years of management experience, she now oversees practice management, ensuring the firm’s operations run efficiently while fostering a positive work environment. Since she became Practice Manager, the firm has grown by 300% in terms of full-time legal personnel.
Legal Expertise in Construction Law
Tsigereda’s legal practice covers a broad spectrum of construction law, including tribunal and court cases, building appeals, and building regulatory compliance in Victoria and NSW. She also provides advice on legislative interpretation of the Building Act 1993 and the Domestic Building Contracts Act.
Recognition of her expertise is reflected in the law firm being named in the construction section of Globe Law Experts 2024 for Australia.
International and Local Contributions
In addition to her domestic legal work, Tsigereda serves as Secretary to the International Building Quality Centre (IBQC) Dispute Resolution Coalition. She coordinates efforts among a distinguished group of international legal experts, including senior jurists from Africa and Australia, as well as eminent construction lawyers from both hemispheres. In this capacity, she contributes to the development of dispute resolution protocols and building regulatory guidelines for emerging economies. She is also a member of the Victorian Building Disputes Practitioners Society Committee.
Her commitment to Africa in terms of the work she does on emerging economy guidelines is an intergenerational commitment to capacity development in Africa, as her grandfather-in-law worked for UNESCO in the 1950s and 60s in Addis in educational capacity building. The late Norman Lovegrove was instrumental in helping to establish mobile schooling where UN VW Combis transported teachers to the rural regions to make education more accessible.
Publications and Thought Leadership
Tsigereda has authored and co-authored several publications, focusing on key issues such as building insurance requirements, risk-based building classification, and inspection protocols for emerging economies.
Some Thoughts on Tsigereda Lovegrove’s Contributions
“In the short time I have known Tsigereda ‘Ziggy’ Lovegrove, I have come to respect her diligence, capabilities, and tenacity. Set against the backdrop of a faraway homeland, Ziggy forged a new life for herself in Australia, conquered the English language, and raised a family. In her professional life, Ziggy is rightfully proud to have attained a law degree and become a protégé of the law firm that bears her husband’s name. Professionally, she has assisted the International Building Quality Centre in conducting background research, synthesizing material, and coordinating some of the logistics of international meetings, which has demonstrated her dexterity in familiarizing herself with topics that one can only imagine were quite foreign to her not so long ago.”
– Neil Savery, IBQC Board Member
“ In my interactions with Tsigereda, I have found her to be a remarkable force of intelligence, integrity, and professionalism. At the IBQC, she skillfully facilitated teamwork, ensuring that collaboration was smooth, insightful, and effective. Her exceptional communication and leadership skills were evident in these interactions.
Her extensive knowledge and research contributions on mediation as a dispute resolution mechanism have made a significant positive impact on the industry. Additionally, her strategic thinking and dedication to enhancing dispute resolution mechanisms in developing countries, such as Ethiopia, have left a lasting impression on me”.
– Judge/Justice Maedot Yeshak Tesfaye, Federal Court of Ethiopia .
The Future
Tsigereda is intent on growing the practice in Australasia, opening a New Zealand office, and continuing to participate in the development of building regulatory guidelines that are contextualized for Africa. Her commitment to advancing the industry reflects her dedication to making a positive difference both locally and globally.
This piece is penned by the founder of Lovegrove & Cotton Kim Lovegrove
