Cat is a Partner in our dispute resolution practice in London, specialising in the defence of complex and large-scale group litigation across a range of industries.
Her practice focuses on ESG, consumer protection, data privacy, product and commercial disputes, and regulatory investigations. Cat has particular expertise in relation to English group litigation having acted on some of the most high-profile group actions in the English High Court. She has also acted for clients in non-judicial dispute processes, including National Contact Point complaints under the OECD Guidelines and UN Special Procedures complaints. In addition, Cat has helped numerous clients to manage contentious regulatory risks and is experienced in dealing with external regulators and authorities, including the CMA and the European Commission.
Cat is a member of the firm’s Global Business and Human Rights practice and advises clients on compliance and best practice in respect of national and international business, environmental and human rights standards.
Cat is also very actively involved in Freshfields’ social mobility initiatives and was part of the team that launched Freshfields’ Social Mobility Network. She often speaks at internal and external events, including client events, about social mobility in the legal sector. She is also involved in the Freshfields Aspiring Professionals programme and in our Stephen Lawrence Scholarship programme.
Cat speaks English and French.
Cat’s experience includes acting for:
- a major energy company in its position as interested party in a judicial review of the Secretary of State’s decision to grant development consent for the world’s first commercial scale gas-fired power station with carbon capture technology;
- a global mining company on threatened litigation in the UK relating to alleged environmental impacts and personal injury said to be caused by an ilmenite mine in Madagascar;
- a global mining company on its litigation strategy regarding class action proceedings filed in Papua New Guinea and a related complaint to the Australian National Contact Point regarding alleged environmental impacts said to be caused by a mine in Papua New Guinea;
- a multinational automotive manufacturer in relation to the defence of a group action brought in the English High Court concerning diesel emissions;
- one of the world’s largest energy companies on the successful defence of an international multiparty claim brought in the English High Court relating to the design and construction of an 800km pipeline in Colombia and alleged environmental impacts;
- a multinational energy company and a number of its subsidiaries in two separate English High Court proceedings, both in respect of alleged human rights abuses allegedly committed by Colombian military and paramilitary forces in the mid-1990s to early 2000s;
- a number of mining companies in respect of both an OECD complaint made by an NGO to a number of National Contact Points and a group action before the English High Court regarding alleged impacts of a mine in Colombia;
- a Colombian mining company in respect of a complaint made by an NGO to the UN Special Rapporteur, alleging breaches of environmental and social obligations under Colombian and international law;
- a global packaging company in respect of a complaint made by an NGO to the UN Special Rapporteur, alleging breaches of environmental and social obligations under the UN Guiding Principles;
- a number of clients across a number of industries on their climate change legal risks and providing detailed, multi-jurisdiction reports on these risks, including practical advice on how to mitigate them;
- a multinational hotel company on its response to one of the world’s largest customer data breaches, including defending the client in an opt-out representative action alleging loss of control of data;
- an automotive retailer in its response to regulatory inquiries and its litigation strategy following a cyber-attack;
- a major tech company on the defence and coordination of litigation in England and across Europe in respect of data scraping on its platform, including in proceedings before the German Federal Court of Justice;
- a global tech company on its litigation strategy (including regarding class actions) regarding transfer of data out of the EU and on related English litigation;
- a major tech company on a consumer regulatory investigation relating to fake and misleading reviews;
- a US tech client on its compliance with the Digital Markets Act and associated litigation risks;
- a major tech company on its compliance with the consumer law provisions of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024;
- a major tech client regarding consumer law input concerning a response to the CMA’s online platforms and digital advertising market study (2020), which laid the groundwork for the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024.
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