Catherine Newman KC

Call: 1979 Silk: 1995

Catherine Newman KC is not currently accepting instructions.

Catherine is a leading silk at the chancery and commercial bar. Clients rate her as, ‘a standout figure’, ‘fantastically clever, intellectually very agile and someone who really adds value as a silk.’ , 'Technically perfect’ and ‘ takes a robust, calm and measured approach.’.

She is one of the best cross examiners in practice today: ‘A fine exponent of trial advocacy and cross-examination’ and ‘Extremely clever and excellent at cross-examination.'.

Her ‘formidable intellect’ ‘grasps complex financial situations easily.’ She relishes getting a deep understanding of the client’s business, and couples that with an astute understanding of human nature which enables her to get to the bottom of issues quickly. She is ‘great with clients, reliable, and very confident in her advice.’ ‘She can make complicated principles understandable to a lay party. She's also extremely impressive in terms of the volume that she can get on top of in a short space of time.’ ‘She really thinks very deeply. Her judgement and identification of the issues in a case really make a difference.’

She has never lost her commitment to being on top of the evidence and issues in a case herself: ‘A class act and a pleasure to work with, she displays great attention to detail and is extremely knowledgeable.’ ‘She's extremely responsive, gets to grip with the issues in minutes’

Well regarded by the judiciary, ‘Catherine's a superstar in the courtroom. She's incredibly well prepared.’ ‘Catherine has the ability to take the temperature of the situation and read the court. She is well regarded by the judiciary and easy to get on with. Clients really like her. She really is a tour de force.’ She is not ‘arrogant. She also takes an inclusive approach and feels like part of the team.’

She has considerable experience of business disputes particularly those which may have equity aspects (contracts, warranties, tort, agency, fiduciary duties, restitution etc), civil fraud, insolvency, asset tracing, trusts, JVs, partnership, LLPs, corporate and shareholder and investor disputes in many fields (including commodities, mining and many types of chemical and industrial processes), banking, hedge fund and private equity fund investments, foreign exchange and derivatives. Her work has included: acting for the successful Appellants in Smith and Others v Molyneux [2016] UKPC; acting for Shell Pension Fund in BVI litigation (ending in the Privy Council) brought by the Liquidators of a Madoff feeder, advising the UK arm of a US monoline insurer on its rights in relation to a suite of lending and bonds issued by a state owned utility in a failing Eurozone jurisdiction; litigation on behalf of an investor in Russian assets purchased from a Dutch bank alleged to be part of the insolvent estate of Mr Ablyazov; acting for an Italian commune claiming to have been mis-sold derivatives by international banks; the first reported case on the duties of partners in a LLP; disputes concerning trading in metals and the ownership of residues, and their quality, from the smelting of copper ores; litigation by a group of siblings in relation to the dividend policy of an investment company holding assets for charitable trusts and numerous disputes concerning the conduct of trustees and the construction of trusts and contracts.

She has acted in many well-known disputes including the UK local authority swaps litigation, BCCI, Maxwell and Madoff. She was Leading Counsel advising the Inspectors inquiring into the flotation of Mirror Group Newspapers. In November 2005 she led the team acting for the English Creditors’ Committee of BCCI SA in the private application to the Chancellor which immediately preceded the discontinuance of the Liquidators’ litigation against the Bank of England.

She has appeared in all the divisions and levels of the UK courts, and is a member of the BVI bar. She has appeared in the courts of the Cayman Islands on several occasions.

Catherine has appeared as an advocate in several arbitrations, including those governed by ICC and LCIA rules, and is currently appointed as an ICC co-arbitrator in a Latin American dispute.

Catherine also takes appropriate pro bono work and is a Trustee of a major development charity.

She graduated from University College London with First Class Honours in Law, winning the Andrews Medal and Prize for the most outstanding performance in the final Law examinations in 1978. A former scholar of the Middle Temple , she has chaired their Scholarship Fund Appeal.

Catherine is ranked as a Leading Silk in several categories in both the Chambers Directory and the Legal 500.