Q&A with Marcia J. Oliver, OBA Construction and Infrastructure Law Award of Excellence Recipient

  • May 19, 2020

“It is a magical blend of law embedded in the best and worst of human nature, as expressed through the tangibility of construction, the precision of engineering science and the beauty of architecture.”

Marcia J. Oliver, CS (Construction Law), Q. Arb., Partner, Advocates LLP, is being honoured this year with the OBA Construction and Infrastructure Law Award of Excellence for her outstanding leadership and contributions to the field of construction law. Gain a glimpse of what inspires her in this candid Q&A.

  1. Who or what inspires you most in your career?

Difficult to answer. There are many who’s and what’s that inspire me. But if I must narrow it down, I am inspired every single day  by the god of my understanding and by my family. My late mom’s parenting style was not heavily ruled based, but she did expect my brothers and me to live honestly, humbly and gratefully. My dad, a retired civil engineer, instilled in me a keen work ethic, a deep sense of service to others and a love of how things are built. And my late grandfather encouraged me to find humour in my day and laugh often (despite the fact he was a Chartered Accountant).

  1. What does a ‘good day’, or success, look like for you in your work?

A good day is one in which I have contributed to helping others and learned something new.

  1. What challenges or motivates you most about your particular area of practice?

Construction law is multilayered and complex. It is a magical blend of law embedded in the best and worst of human nature, as expressed through the tangibility of construction, the precision of engineering science and the beauty of architecture.

  1. Apart from encyclopedic knowledge of the law, is there a single trait that you think all effective lawyers share?

An ability to listen well and to act with integrity.