Speaker details

Biography

Kathleen specialises in group actions, product liability, environment and employment litigation. Kathleen has acted in some of the largest and most significant class actions in the English Courts. She acted for 555 subpostmasters against the Post Office in civil litigation concerning the operation of the Horizon IT system, resulting in the largest miscarriage of justice in UK history, with 93 convictions of innocent people for theft, fraud and false accounting overturned as a result of the findings in the High Court that the IT system contained bugs and errors and was not robust. Kathleen acted in the long running VW NOx emissions litigation and continues to act in this field. She has experience of large scale environmental claims including the OCENSA pipeline litigation (concluding in a 5 month trial) as well as workplace respiratory claims and private nuisance claims. She acted for a major industry party at the Potters Bar inquest. Kathleen has broad commercial litigation experience, including in the high profile aviation dispute between Qatar Airways v Airbus, and in the Stirling Mortimer fraud and professional negligence litigation. Kathleen is instructed for a major retailer in a high profile equal pay claim. She has particular experience of employee competition cases, and appears for international civil servants against the African Development Bank. Chambers and Partners 2023 describe Kathleen as “a phenomenal barrister; her ability to retain detail is truly impressive”, with “a stunning ability to understand complex issues”, “really bright, commercial, and great strategic acumen”. Legal 500 describes her as “tenacious and persuasive”, “excellent with clients”, having “excellent advocacy skills that result in clients winning their cases” and being “very bright, tenacious and good on her feet”. Kathleen studied law at Oriel College, Oxford and has a postgraduate law degree from Queens’ College, Cambridge.