A FEW MINUTES WITH CORE INVESTMENTS INC.’S JAKE CATANIA
Jake Catania is Legal Administrative Assistant at Core Investments, Inc. He’s been with the growing company since October 2021.
What do you actually do for Core?
My job with Core is to generally help with the Legal Department. That means – one of my favorite phrases is I have a finger in all the pies. Like how Gary and Amanda [Gary Lilienthal, General Counsel; and Amanda Nealon, Paralegal] have a hand in almost everything, I end up drafting legal documents, including leases, amendments to purchase and sale agreements, or use and occupancy agreements. I also do a lot of abstracting of our documents internally or sending them out to be abstracted, then I review and confirm all the information. On top of that I help coordinate the Legal Department with other departments. I’m in charge of making Gary’s and Amanda’s lives as easy as possible.
In general, I do things that are important in the legal department but don’t require a ton of extra, legal expertise. I’m using this time at Core to learn about the legal field and real estate and how to make everything run a little more smoothly. Most recently I’ve been working on investor documents.
Jake, what did you do before Core?
Before Core I worked at a small workers compensation insurance litigation firm over in the Financial District of Boston. And before that I was living at home during the pandemic, because I am a Boston College Class of 2020 grad. We were kicked out of the dorms and off campus in March 2020.
In the winter of 2020, I was doing internships and working for a small legal firm as I got my feet underneath me in my legal career. I’m looking to be an attorney, but not sure what specifically yet. That same winter I got a paralegal certificate from the Boston University Center for Professional Education.
Where did you go to school?
I went to B.C. undergrad. I was a double major in political science and psychology as an art. I technically graduated in May 2020, but we didn’t have our graduation ceremony until October of 2021.
I’m not in school right now, but I’m actively studying for the LSAT. I’d like to get into one of the really good law schools in Boston. I’ve loved law for a very long time, even going back to 12-year-old Jake watching “Law & Order.” I remember that I enjoyed the courtroom scenes more than chasing down bad guys. In the fall of 2020, at the same time as my first legal internship in my hometown of Bedford, New Hampshire, I got my paralegal certificate.
So you grew up in Bedford, New Hampshire?
I did. My parents were both in the military, so I like to say I’m a Navy brat. I grew up all up and down the east coast of the United States, south as far as North Carolina all the way up to New Hampshire.
Where do you live now?
Right now, I live in Coolidge Corner, on the C Branch of the Green Line. It’s such a great spot because of how central it is in Boston and because of all the amenities nearby. We don’t have central air-conditioning in our apartment, so it’s great to have things like the Coolidge Corner Theater around.
What do you do to have fun and when you’re not working?
I have been into fitness my whole life, and for seven years — four in high school and three in college — I was an oarsman on my schools’ rowing teams. Unfortunately, I’ve been struggling from a double hamstring injury from a few years ago. But one of these days I’d like to get back out on the water.
Besides that, I love video games, hanging with friends, and exploring Boston. All the different fun things you can do in the city. Right now, I’m prioritizing building my legal career and enjoying my 20s.
What’s a favorite place of yours in the Boston area?
I have two favorite places in Boston. One is on the Charles River, which I spent countless hours rowing on. And my roommates and I, not as much anymore but recently had a tradition of going to Hopewell restaurant and bar every Wednesday for the half-price chicken sandwich special.
Is there anything new in your life?
The newest thing in my life is that I’m trying to get serious about finding a relationship. I’ve never really had a full adult relationship with someone you can be vulnerable with and share your full self. I hope I’ll be able to find a significant other. At this point, I’d even be happy to go on a blind date, but I’m a more than a little bit out of practice.