Regulatory & Public, Personal Injury & Clinical Negligence and Commercial & Chancery
Regulatory & Public
Kate is an established inquest advocate. Her approachable empathetic manner and thorough preparation enable her to guide both lay and professional clients through the sometimes-difficult inquest process. She provides pragmatic advice, proactively identifying potential issues at an early stage, enabling effective case preparation and careful management of potential Regulation 28 (Reports to Prevent Future Deaths) issues. Her ability to comprehend the needs of complex cases while remaining focused ensures she is popular not only with her clients but the Coroners she appears before.
Since her appointment as junior counsel to the Crown in 2018, Kate regularly acts on behalf of public and privately run prisons and healthcare in justice providers in jury inquests which engage Article 2. She is familiar with processes unique to custody, including the ACCT (Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork) process. This builds on a solid foundation of experience including inquests involving deaths in the workplace, in care homes, deaths involving medical malpractice, self-harm, road traffic collisions and substance misuse. For a decade across all areas of Kate’s practice, she has maintained a particular interest in cases involving psychiatric injury and individuals with mental health difficulties.
Kate is also instructed in civil actions arising out of inquests, including those concerning alleged breaches of the Human Rights Act 1998 or the Fatal Accidents Act 1976 and she is able to offer continuity of representation to both families and any interested parties.
Kate accepts instructions on public law and regulatory matters, particularly in the fields of healthcare, prison and those involving injury or deaths in the workplace.
Kate has a broad experience in the field of healthcare law for almost a decade. She is a thorough and persuasive advocate, navigating complex medical and legal issues in a calm and approachable manner. Alongside her court work she also has a busy paper practice, and is always available to her instructing solicitor by telephone.
Kate’s experience of clinical negligence claims and medical mal-practice cases includes doctors nursing and midwifery, dentistry, care home and healthcare in custody settings. Kate enjoys getting to grips with medical and technical issues in clinical negligence claims, inquests, and healthcare regulatory cases.
Kate has a growing interest in employment disciplinary investigations and proceedings representing healthcare professionals.
Kate also represents applicants and public bodies in judicial review proceedings, as well as in a number of specialist tribunals including the Upper Tribunal. She has over eight years’ experience representing victims of violent crime pursuant to the CICA schemes. Kate has a special interest in Judicial Review proceedings concerning coronial law and inquests.
Personal Injury & Clinical Negligence
Kate has vast experience in personal injury claims, acting for both Claimants and Defendants in claims arising out of injury or death in the workplace, in prison or custody, in a public place, on the road or as a result of clinical negligence. Increasingly, Kate’s practice includes serious life-changing injury claims and high-value litigation. She is approachable, thoroughly prepared and a persuasive advocate. Kate is a contributor to Butterworths Personal Injury Litigation Service.
She undertakes work at all stages from advisory work, drafting pleadings, schedules of loss and Part 35 questions, attending CCMCs, JSMs, through to trial and approval hearings. Kate regularly appears at inquests prior to civil proceedings, providing continuity of representation throughout.
Kate is regularly instructed on behalf of NHSLAs, insurers, large supermarkets and, since her appointment as junior counsel to the Crown in 2018, Kate regularly acts on behalf of public and privately run prisons, healthcare in justice providers, the Crown and other State Departments in personal injury, Human Rights Act 1998 or Fatal Accidents Act claims.
Kate is experienced in disputes arising out of the Fixed Recoverable Costs regime and is regularly instructed to advise on and/or represent parties at hearings concerning technical costs/procedural issues.
For a decade across all areas of Kate’s practice, she has maintained a particular interest in cases involving psychiatric injury and individuals with mental health difficulties. Her ability to comprehend the needs of complex cases and calm, empathetic manner means she is a popular choice for Claimants and Defendants in occupational stress claims and claims arising from psychiatric injury caused by breaches of the implied term, bullying, harassment, overwork and claims which involve a psychological component.
Kate has a broad experience in the field of healthcare law for almost a decade. She is a thorough and persuasive advocate, navigating complex medical and legal issues in a calm and approachable manner. Alongside her court work she also has a busy paper practice, and is always available to her instructing solicitor by telephone.
Kate’s experience of clinical negligence and medical mal-practice includes acting on behalf of both Claimants and Defendants in general practice, hospital, midwifery, dental, care home and healthcare in custody settings.
Commercial & Chancery
Kate is approachable, thoroughly prepared and a persuasive advocate. She appears on a number of leading insurance company panels of preferred counsel.
Experienced in all areas of indemnity disputes including motor, business and property, Kate is instructed in a broad spectrum of indemnity claims arising from commercial and domestic insurance, in relation to risk, policy coverage and recovery disputes. This includes advising on the construction of policies, policy avoidance and cancellation, property damage, and nuisance.
Regularly instructed on behalf of Defendants in fraudulent and suspicious claims, she completes robust defences promptly. Kate’s experience in the motor industry include cases involving staged accidents, low-velocity impact (LVI) matters, bogus passenger claims and exaggeration of loss. She has extensive experience defending credit hire claims and she understands the need to secure robust directions at case management hearings, particularly in cases where the veracity of the hire is in issue, or in cases involving the hire of taxis. Kate ensures that she is always alive to developments in this field, in addition to being very familiar with existing arguments and case law.
Kate undertakes work at all stages and provides pragmatic advice, including on procedure and tactics. She is familiar with representing parties at contested interlocutory applications including: applications for specific disclosure, applications to strike out, applications to resile from admissions, CMCs, CCMCs, applications regarding medical evidence, and costs arguments. Kate is also regularly instructed in relation to applications regarding Qualified One Way Costs Shifting (“QOCs”) and allegations of fundamental dishonesty.
Call 2011
Appointments: 2018 Attorney General's Regional Panel - C Panel Bar Pro Bono Unit - Pro Bono Champion
2020 Circuit Junior, North Eastern Circuit
2021 Appointment to Attorney General's Regional B Panel of Advocates Director of Pupillage Assistant Coroner for Liverpool and Wirral Deputy District Judge
Personal Injury Bar Association Northern Circuit Chancery Bar Association
2010 University of Manchester, LLB (Hons) (First)
2011 Nottingham Law School, BPTC (Outstanding)