Gatehouse Chambers

“Excellent communication skills and an eye for detail. Katie also has a very good grasp of construction jargon” - The Legal 500, 2023

Katie is a commercial barrister with particular expertise in construction, engineering, energy and technology-related law. Recommended in Construction by The Legal 500, she is well-known as a hard-working and reliable junior, and is highly regarded for her attention to technical detail and commercial awareness, as well as for her cross-examination and trial work. She acts and has acted for employers, developers, contractors, construction professionals and local authorities. For example, Katie recently acted as part of a multi-counsel team on a $2 billion international construction arbitration involving allegations of defective design, and has recently advised (as leading counsel) in relation to a claim under the DPA 1972 as leading counsel in a multi-million pound dispute concerning blocks of high rise luxury flats.

Katie is regularly instructed as sole counsel to act and advise in relation to both High Court and County Court disputes. Katie was recently successful in a four-day trial in the TCC (High Court) as sole counsel in a case involving the construction of a multi-million pound develop for student accommodation (reported), and a five-day TCC trial concerning defective works to a high-end residential premises.

Katie has particular expertise in construction adjudication and enforcement; acting for both referring and responding parties in both smash and grab and true value adjudications.

Katie has also accumulated a breadth of experience encompassing several niche areas of construction, and has advised in relation to various construction insurance and coverage issues (including PI insurance, CAR insurance, and NHBC/new home warranties), insolvency, the effects of Covid-19 on construction projects, asbestos-related defects, sanitary issues under the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999, energy from waste plants, and bio-mass energy output under the Non-Domestic RHI Scheme.

Katie is currently a co-editor of the Construction, Engineering and Energy Law Journal of Ireland and regularly writes articles and case updates. She has been published a number of times in the Construction Law Journal and the Construction, Engineering and Energy Law Journal of Ireland.

Katie has also a contributed to the following leading practitioners texts: Delay and Disruption in Construction Contracts (Burr 2016); Construction Professional Indemnity Insurance (Reed 2018 and 2022); and Construction Insolvency (McCann, 2022).

Called: 2012

Co-Editor of the Construction, Engineering and Energy Law Journal of Ireland Society of Construction Law TECBAR Gatehouse Chambers Steering Committee

LLB Law (Hons), University of Bristol (Ranked 1st in year for jurisprudence, contract & tort) LLM Commercial Law, University of Bristol (Ranked 1st in year) with Distinction BPTC, BPP Law School (Ranked 1st in year for Cross Examination and Ethics)

Katie is also on TECBAR's panel of accredited adjudicators