Biography
Kate has over ten 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.
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 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 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.
Press Coverage
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
Areas of Expertise
Latest news
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Signature Partners
Ioannis Alexopoulos
Ioannis is ranked in the Chambers UK Guide for international arbitration and is recognised in The Legal 500 UK 2021 as a ‘Recommended Lawyer’ for international arbitration. He is praised as a “brilliant advocate” and the Guide also notes that he is “is experienced in cases involving Greece, the Balkans, Russia and Central Asia, the Middle East, Brazil and sub-Saharan Africa“. Ioannis is also ranked in Chambers Global for his international arbitration practice. He has been commended for his ability to “see right to the heart of sprawling banking disputes.”
Paul Brehony
Paul is recognised as a “notable practitioner” in banking litigation by The Legal 500 UK Guide and is also “highly recommended” for commercial litigation expertise. He is further described as “charming, well organised and a pleasure to litigate with.”
Nicolas Brooke
Nicolas has deep experience in the management of complex and international high stakes litigations. He receives high praise within the industry; his team at Société Générale was awarded the “Trophée d’or Direction Juridique Contentieux” by Décideurs/Leaders League and most recently Nicolas won the “Outstanding In-house Counsel” award at the Global Investigations Review Awards in 2018. The Legal 500 EMEA Guide recognises Nicolas as a ‘Leading Individual’ for compliance, and notes he has “outstanding professional skills and shows a good sense of strategy.”
Natalia Chumak
Natalia is ranked in the Chambers UK and The Legal 500 UK Guides for her International Arbitration expertise. She has previously been praised by The Legal 500 and Chambers UK for her “fantastic experience and responsiveness“, for being an “extremely good tactical mind“, a “steely litigator with excellent litigation instincts” and she has been praised for her ability to “remain incredibly calm under pressure“.
Julian Connerty
Julian has been ranked in Chambers for Civil Fraud and the Guide notes he “has considerable expertise in international fraud cases.” Julian is recommended in The Legal 500 UK 2021 for his civil fraud and banking litigation expertise. The Legal 500 notes that Julian is an “extremely experienced practitioner” and “a specialist in international fraud and asset recovery actions”. Julian is also described as “subtle and meticulous” and “inspires great confidence in all around him”.
Steven De Lara
Steven practices in both London and Gibraltar. A multi-faceted lawyer, he engages in complex contentious and non-contentious corporate and commercial matters, with a particular expertise on insolvency, restructuring and regulatory mandates. Steven is ranked in the Chambers Global 2021 and Chambers Europe 2021 Guides for General Business Law: Dispute Resolution. He is described as an “insightful, dedicated lawyer with great attention to detail” and Chambers adds that Steven is “extremely hard-working, client-focused and very knowledgeable.” The Legal 500 EMEA Guide also recognises Steven as a ‘Recommended Lawyer’ for dispute resolution in Gibraltar.
Sylvie Gallage-Alwis
Sylvie is described by Who’s Who Legal as a “dynamic and determined litigator“, who is “a firm favourite among clients” as “she always goes the extra mile to support her clients, and is proactive in seeking commercial solutions to disputes” and is “analytical, intelligent and responsive“. The Legal 500 EMEA Guide ranks Sylvie as a ‘Next Generation Partner’ for Product Liability Litigation in France and she is recognised for her work on “high-profile toxic tort and product liability cases, handing a number of asbestos claims.”
Graham Huntley
Graham is consistently recognised by The Legal 500 and Chambers as one of the UK’s highest ranked commercial and banking litigators and has been involved in some of the most significant cases of recent years. Chambers UK describes him as “an intense and effective solicitor with an incredibly client-focused approach” and he has previously been described as “very bright, very hard-working, a good tactician” and “very committed and driven”. The Legal 500 recognises Graham for being a “a leading figure in commercial dispute resolution and widely regarded as a rainmaker.”
Abdulali Jiwaji
Abdul is regarded as a ‘Recommended Lawyer’ in The Legal 500 UK 2021 for Banking Litigation: Investment and Retail and Commercial Litigation. The Guide notes he “is always on the ball and has a good tactical brain” and recognises he “has always provided sound and very considered advice”. Abdul is also praised for being “a steady hand during turbulent times”. Chambers Global has described him as a “technically sound, sensible and robust litigator who always finds practical solutions”.
Emmanuèle Lutfalla
Emmanuèle is recognised as a ‘Thought Leader’ in Who’s Who Legal’s France 2020 Guide. She is also ranked as both a ‘National’ (in France) and ‘Global’ Leader for Product Liability Defence in Who’s Who Legal. The Guide notes Emmanuèle “excels in handling disputes at the intersection of product liability and insurance matters, representing clients from the life sciences sector in litigation and product risk management.” The Legal 500 EMEA Guide ranks Emmanuèle as a ‘Recommended Lawyer’ for insurance and notes she is “very renowned in the insurance sector“. The Legal 500 also ranks the insurance and reinsurance litigation practice very highly in Paris, and also notes the department “unites an impressive bench of stellar litigators“.
Hermès Marangos
Hermès is recognised as a ‘Leading Individual’ in The Legal 500 UK 2021 for his insurance and reinsurance litigation practice. Hermès is ranked as a Band 3 expert in Chambers Global 2021 and Chambers Latin America 2021 for his Insurance expertise in the region.
Elliott Phillips
Elliott is an internationally recognised barrister and specialises in global commercial litigation and international contentious trusts disputes. He has been recognised in The Legal 500 for his experience in dispute resolution work and is also ranked as a Band 2 individual in both Chambers Global and Chambers Europe for General Business Law: Dispute Resolution — Gibraltar. Elliott is also recognised as one of the world’s leading private client lawyers and trusts and estates litigators, and is listed in the Private Client Global Elite community. The Legal 500 EMEA Guide recognises Elliott as a ‘Recommended Lawyer’ for dispute resolution in Gibraltar, and notes he “is a specialist in international trusts and estates disputes.” A referee in the 2021 Guide praises Elliott as “an accomplished litigator, highly experienced, knowledgeable and great to have on your side.“
Flore Poloni
Ranked in Who’s Who Legal Arbitration – Future Leaders, Flore is described as “the most dynamic young arbitration practitioner in Paris“, “a very dynamic and multi-skilled lawyer” and praised for her “excellent communication skills and perfect knowledge of arbitration“. The Legal 500 EMEA 2021 Guide ranks Flore as a ‘Recommended Lawyer’ for dispute resolution and has been recognised as a ‘Rising Star’ lawyer for International Arbitration. Flore has been praised for her “extensive expertise in international arbitration” and described as “extremely capable”.
Thomas Rouhette
Thomas is ranked Band 2 by both Chambers Global and Europe for his litigation and aviation law expertise, with sources praising him for his “invaluable” advice, experience and knowledge. The Legal 500 EMEA Guide consistently recognises Thomas as a ‘Leading Individual’ for his aviation and commercial litigation practices. Who’s Who Legal regards Thomas as the “finest product liability lawyer in the country and one of the very best on the continent.”
Tom Snelling
Highly ranked in the Chambers UK Guide for his commercial litigation expertise, Tom Snelling is described in the 2020 Guide as “extraordinarily good” and an “utter pleasure to work with and enormously talented, with a sixth sense for where a case is going and very sound judgement”. The Guides have also noted that Tom is “amazingly dedicated with strong credentials in international litigation” and that he is both “practical and commercial”. Tom is recognised as a ‘Recommended Lawyer’ in The Legal 500 UK 2021 for his Banking Litigation: Investment and Retail and Commercial Litigation expertise.
Daniel Spendlove
The Legal 500 UK Guide describes Daniel as “an exceptionally committed, exceptionally hard working lawyer, with a careful and thorough approach to issues” and “a really effective litigator“. He has also been described as “very smart, client focused and details-oriented” and “excellent, with great attention to detail, wide experience and excellent client care’“. He has also been praised as “highly professional”, and “a strategic thinker” who “brings real energy to cases”. He is highly ranked across the Commercial Litigation, International Arbitration and Professional Negligence categories. He was recently described, by Commercial Dispute Resolution magazine, as “one of a new breed of independent and forceful commercial litigation partners”.
Josh Wong
Josh is recognised as a ‘Recommended Lawyer’ in The Legal 500 UK 2021 for his international arbitration expertise, and the Guide notes that he is “an expert in security, asset tracing and enforcement actions involving multiple jurisdictions”. He has also been ranked in Chambers Global as a ‘Foreign Expert Based in UK’ for his Chinese dispute resolution, arbitration expertise, and as a ‘Foreign Expert for China’ for UK dispute resolution.
