“Kate is a great litigator. She is hard-working, dedicated to her clients and able to bring good commercial judgement to bear on her cases.”

Chambers UK 2023

“Kate is great at driving a matter forward and building a team. She is really smart with a huge amount of energy and expertise.”

Chambers UK 2023

“Kate has notable experience in civil fraud work. She regularly advises clients on litigation and asset tracing relating to alleged fraud.”

Chambers UK 2023

“Kate Gee: a partner in counsel’s clothing, with real depth of experience in civil fraud matters, including cryptocurrencies.”

The Legal 500 UK 2023

Biography

Kate has more than twelve years’ experience acting in complex, high value, cross border disputes, including civil fraud and asset tracing claims, general commercial litigation and banking litigation.

Kate has advised on all stages of litigation, from pre-action through to fully contested trials and enforcement matters. She also has experience of a wide range of interim applications, including applications for summary judgment, stays and adjournments, specific and third-party disclosure, security for costs, freezing injunctions, committal for contempt of court and applications for cross-examination on evidence. Kate has a special interest in digital assets and tech disputes, and regularly publishes articles on and speaks about these topics.

Kate is ranked in the Chambers UK 2023 guide for Civil Fraud and is commended by sources as being “great at driving a matter forward and building a team. She is really smart with a huge amount of energy and expertise”. Another commentator notes that “Kate is a great litigator. She is hard-working, dedicated to her clients and able to bring good commercial judgement to bear on her cases.” Previous guides have described her as having “notable experience in civil fraud work” and commended her for having “a real commercial handle on things and is completely unflappable”. Kate is also recognised as a ‘Recommended Lawyer’ in The Legal 500 UK 2023 Guide, with sources describing her as having “real depth of experience in civil fraud matters, including cryptocurrencies.”

In 2018, Kate co-founded ACROSS Fraud, a network for fraud lawyers in London and worldwide and in 2014 she was identified as a ‘Rising Star’ for Commercial Litigation by Thomson Reuters’ Super Lawyers. Kate is a member of the Fraud Lawyers’ Association, the International Association of Young Lawyers and the ThoughtLeaders4FIRE community.

Kate trained and qualified at Allen & Overy and completed a client secondment to the litigation team at Barclays Bank. Kate obtained her Higher Rights of Audience (Civil Advocacy) in 2010.

Experience

  • Acted for four defendant banks in an €800m claim in the English Commercial Court which alleged EURIBOR manipulation in relation to swaps between the claimant and the banks. The swaps were entered into in connection with a loan to the claimant to finance the purchase of an entity’s global headquarters [Marme Inversiones v Natwest Markets plc & Others ([2019] EWHC 366 (Comm))].
  • Represented a major international hedge fund in civil and criminal proceedings, a judicial review, and two Court of Appeal hearings, all in relation to the theft of highly valuable confidential information and trading algorithms by a former employee. Proceedings were brought (i) in the High Courts in England and Hong Kong for damages and injunctive relief, (ii) by way of a private prosecution in England against the Defendant, and (ii) for contempt of court In England, which resulted in a further term of imprisonment for the Defendant [Corbiere Limited and others -v- Ke Xu Claim No. HC-2014-001924].
  • Acted for Cellcom Telecommunications Limited in Lonestar Communications v Kaye and Ors, one of The Lawyer’s Top Cases of 2022. In this dispute, Liberian telecoms company Lonestar claims it fell victim to a number of cyber attacks and as a result, suffered damages, causing a drop in the business value and a loss of profits. The case includes claims of conspiracy and unlawful interference.
  • Successfully enforced an arbitral award against the assets of an Israeli businessman. The process included obtaining orders for asset disclosure and obtaining and continuing a Worldwide Freezing Order.
  • Advised an international billionaire in relation to a multinational dispute arising out of an alleged joint venture and including allegations of conspiracy and fraud.
  • Acted for the Claimant in a USD$300m fraud claim against an international manufacturer’s former shareholder and CEO and former CFO.
  • Acted for the Agent Bank to successfully oppose a Part 8 claim and subsequent appeal brought by a “Class X” noteholder for a declaration that default interest should be included in the calculation of interest on the Class X Notes [Credit Suisse Asset Management LLC v Cornerstone Titan 2006-1 PLC and Ors [2016] EWCA Civ 1293].
  • Acted for an international bank, defending a claim seeking payment under the terms of an on-demand guarantee where making payment would be contrary to the terms of a PRC court order [Spliethoff’s Bevrachtingskantoor BV v Bank of China Ltd [2015] EWHC 999 (Comm)].
  • Acted for the estate of an Iraqi businessman being sued in the High Court in fraud proceedings in respect of a multibillion-pound telecoms venture in Iraq, involving allegations of a breach of fiduciary duty and misrepresentation [Merchantbridge & Co Ltd and others -v- The Estate of Basil Al- Rahim and others (Cayman Islands)].
  • Advised a number of tech start-ups in relation to various legal issues arising out of investor disputes, legal technology, market innovation and litigation and other legal risk.
  • Represented several banks in shipping disputes relating to a counterparty’s fraudulent misdirection of payments. These are arbitrations brought within the LMAA rules.
  • Advised two former directors of a UK company in respect of an alleged multimillion-pound fraud relating to a multinational oil and gas company.
  • Advised on a number of post-takeover litigation and contentious regulatory matters for a global inter-dealer broker.

Publications

Crypto regulation: what next? – FTAdviser – 20 September 2023

New Act sets groundwork for crypto regulation – CDR News – 4 September 2023

Boards Need to Increase ESG Activity, ScrutinyNasdaq – 22 August 2023

With greenwashing lawsuits proliferating, boards need to step up scrutiny of ESG claimsThomson Reuters’ Sustainable Business – 21 August 2023

Crypto assets: English high court sets precedent for cross-border recovery – Solicitors Journal – 10 August 2023

Unsustainably Sustainable: Regulators’ ‘Greenwashing’ crackdown may enhance opportunities in environmental disputes – Litigation Finance Insider – 10 August 2023

UK Supreme Court decision on Quincecare: Banks can breathe a sigh of relief – Thomson Reuters Regulatory Intelligence – 24 July 2023

More ESG integration is needed in UK corporate governance – The FT’s Sustainable Views – 10 July 2023

SEC action against Binance and Coinbase: Will the SEC’s crackdown lead to an exodus of crypto exchanges to jurisdictions with more permissive regulatory environments?IFA Magazine – 5 July 2023

Unsustainably Sustainable: Regulators’ ‘Greenwashing’ crack-down may bring environmental disputes further to the forefrontIFA Magazine – 4 July 2023

Unsustainably Sustainable: Regulators’ ‘Greenwashing’ crack-down may bring environmental disputes further to the forefrontWealth DFM – 4 July 2023

Can Digital Asset Law Reforms Offer a Competitive Edge to Establish the UK as a Leading Crypto Hub?The Fintech Times – 1 July 2023

MPs Say Crypto Trading Should Be Treated As GamblingLaw360 – 17 May 2023

Industry Slams Treasury Committee Call to Regulate Unbacked Crypto as GamblingThe Fintech Times – 17 May 2023

Treasury Committee calls for regulation of crypto as gamblingInvestment Week – 17 May 2023

The FCA’s reforms to the ESG labelling regime: Litigation funders could see a spike in enquiries – Litigation Finance Insider – 25 March 2023

Reforms to the ESG labelling regime may catalyse new claims in the investment fund sectorIFA Magazine – 20 March 2023

Banking mini-crisis sparks first signs of litigationCommercial Dispute Resolution – 15 March 2023

What advisers should know about FCA rules and ESG disputes – Professional Adviser – 14 March 2023

The FCA’s new regime to ‘clean up’ ESG funds provides the catalyst for new claims from green investorsInternational Investment – 14 March 2023

Tougher regulation of digital assets – Compliance Monitor – 27 January 2023

Lords report calls for ‘failure to prevent fraud’ offence – Fraud Intelligence – 17 January 2023

The House of Lords fraud report and the UK’s battle against fraud – New Law Journal – 13 January 2023

The biggest UK corporate crime cases of 2022 – Law360 – 14 December 2022

FTX and BlockFi: Will improved regulation and a suite of disputes follow? – Investment Monitor – 2 December 2022

The legal and regulatory implications of FTX’s collapseThomson Reuters Regulatory Intelligence – 2 December 2022

What does the new Economic Crime Bill hold in store for accountants and company directors? – Accountancy Daily – 28 November 2022

Economic Crime Bill may have some unpredictable implications for insurersInsurance Day – 9 November 2022

UK Financial Conduct Authority issues warning against crypto exchange FTXThomson Reuters Regulatory Intelligence – 5 October 2022

UK watchdog warns consumers of dealings with FTXFinextra – 21 September 2022

FCA warns crypto unicorn FTX is not authorised to operate in UKUK Technology News – 20 September 2022

CMA Fashion Industry Probe Is A Greenwashing Warning – Law360 – 7 September 2022

Greenwashing Draws Scrutiny From Gov’t And Litigators Alike – Law360 – 26 August 2022

Landmark Crypto Judgment: Service by NFTs, Disclosure Orders Against Crypto Exchanges, and Potential Constructive Trustee Liability – Crypto News – 21 August 2022

Watchdog to test green fashion claimsThe Times – 30 July 2022

Asos, Boohoo and Asda accused of misleading customers over green credentialsThe Metro – 29 July 2022

CMA to examine fashion brands’ green claimsThe Times – 29 July

Asos, Boohoo and George at Asda subject to greenwashing probe by regulatorsYahoo News – 29 July 2022

Asos, Boohoo and George at Asda subject to greenwashing probe by regulatorsEvening Standard – 29 July 2022

Asos, Boohoo and George at Asda subject to greenwashing probe by regulatorsDaily Mail – 29 July 2022

UK Court Tears Down Legal Hurdle By OKing NFT ServiceLaw360 – 19 July 2022

Developments in Litigation Funding: What happens next? – Litigation Finance Insider – 13 July 2022

Court grants service by blockchainNew Law Journal – 13 July 2022

UK High Court allows service of legal documents by NFT in ground breaking new order – Legal IT Insider – 12 July 2022

United Kingdom Court Considers NFT a PropertyCoincu – 8 May 2022

The ESG Phenomenon: UK Watchdog Reportedly Frowns On HSBC – WealthBriefing – 6 May 2022

FSB: is crypto a threat to global financial stability?Global Risk Regulator – 5 May 2022

Boss Beauties NFTs Characterised as Property in “Landmark” LawsuitCrypto Compass – 2 May 2022

NFTs Characterised as Property in “Landmark” Boss Beauties LawsuitThe Fashion Law – 1 May 2022

NFTs Recognised as Property in the UK Following OpenSea Case ArtNews – 29 April 2022

What lurks beneath the surface of barclays’ dark pool?Financier Worldwide – 28 April 2022

Leaked ASA report: Regulator to order HSBC to end greenwashing and stop misleading UK customersCity A.M. – 29 April 2022

Company directorship: corporate criminal risksAccountancy Daily – 26 April 2022

Quincecare unchained: a wider duty for banks?Compliance Monitor – 25 April 2022

Looking ahead to crypto litigation – Compliance Monitor – 6 April 2022

Quincecare quarrel: How interpretations of a historic duty may transform the landscape of banking fraud claimsThomson Reuters Regulatory Intelligence – 1 April 2022

Company directorships: ESG and the risks of private actionsAccountancy Daily – 28 March 2022

Funding litigation with crypto: Look before you leap – 21 March 2022

A new frontier: ESG-related litigation riskInsurance Post – 10 March 2022

Company directorships: increased scrutiny and enforcementAccountancy Daily – 3 March 2022

Crackdown on crypto promotions at home and abroadBlockchain Tribune – 1 March 2022

Enforcement Proceedings: Keep them SimpleLitigation Finance Insider – 1 March 2022

Keeping up With Crypto – The UK Legal SystemThe Fintech Times – 4 February 2022

UK legal system risks lagging in technological advancesGlobal Risk Regulator – 2 February 2022

Crypto regulation: too little, too late?The FT’s Banker – 24 January 2022

Cryptoassets: will the watchdogs bark or bite? – The Law Society Gazette – 21 January 2022

Bumps in road expected as U.K. strives to be climate risk leaderCompliance Week – 20 January 2022

Revealed: The Top 20 Cases of 2022 – The Lawyer – 10 January 2022

Can challenger firms compete for audit share?Accountancy Daily – 9 December 2021

Signature Litigation LLP: Is 2022 The Year of Crypto-Asset Regulation? – The Fintech Times – 8 December 2021

Will the crypto asset industry be driven underground? Regulatory regimes and risks – Law360 – 12 November 2021

Challenging the ‘billion-dollar quartet’ – The Law Society Gazette – 1 November 2021

Fraud in a pandemic: the perfect storm?Accountancy Daily – 18 October 2021

Crypto regulation: where will it lead?Global Investor – 14 October 2021

Fraud on the rise: a side-effect of the Covid pandemic – Lawyer Monthly – 14 October 2021

Crypto Regulation – Where Will It Lead?The FinTech Times – 14 October 2021

What the future holds for UK Auditing Reform – Law360 – 17 September 2021

Blockchain bandits – Fraud Intelligence – 21 July 2021

Does the UK need a bespoke financial regulatory regime for cryptocurrencies – Blog – 15 July 2021

Why corporates must beware of using cryptocurrency – Blockchain Tribune – 25 June 2021

Is the FRC on track to become a new, more resilient regulator?Accountancy Daily – 24 May 2021

Asset Disclosure Can Help Claimants Enforce JudgmentsLaw360 – 14 May 2021

Will bitcoin’s popularity attract fraud?Lawyer Monthly – 26 March 2021

High Court Ruling Checks Growth Of Bank Protection Duty – Law360 – 24 February 2021

Clarity on Quincecare duty for banks – The Law Society Gazette – 15 February 2021

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