Catherine Brown

Barrister Profile

Catherine has a specialist personal injury practice. She has a particular expertise in local authority claims including highways law, educational negligence / bullying claims, stress at work cases and claims arising out of child sexual abuse. She is instructed by most of the leading insurers and by many well known companies. 

Catherine also regularly acts for claimants, in particular those who have suffered serious brain and / or spinal injuries and in clinical negligence actions. She will accept appropriate cases on a conditional fee basis.

In addition to personal injury claims, Catherine deals with many claims arising out of nuisance, disrepair and other property related issues and professional negligence claims.

Catherine is recognised as a "Leading Junior" in Chambers & Partners and The Legal 500(Personal Injury) - who has established a strong reputation for her representation of local authorities on a range of matters, including stress and abuse cases. 

In Chambers & Partners 2012, Catherine is praised for her "sound judgement and focus" and is commended for having skills associated with a far more senior advocate. 

In previous editions, she is respected for her "detailed and comprehensive" approach and the fact that she is "ever-prepared to make hard decisions." Catherine "is widely held out as one of the leading personal injury juniors on the circuit, " who is well known for her "tenacious cross-examination." Fellow barristers note that she is "tough but sensible - she will hold her line but never if it is a foolish one." 

She has also described as “clued up” and “regularly briefed on important personal injury cases”. The entry continues by saying that she is “a tenacious trial lawyer and a formidable opponent who is outstanding on large stress claims”. Clients have described Catherine as an “exceptional cross-examiner” and “always extremely supportive of her clients”.

Catherine is an advocacy and ethics trainer at the annual South East Circuit International Advocacy Course at Keble College, Oxford.

Catherine is a barrister member of the BSB Complaints Committee.

She is a member of the Merton Education Appeal Panel which hears appeals by parents in relation to state school exclusions.

Appointments

Recorder 2008

Qualifications

University of Birmingham; B.Com (Commerce)
Polytechnic of Central London; Diploma in Law

Professional Membership

Personal Injuries Bar Association
Professional Negligence Bar Association
South Eastern Circuit
Middle Temple
Association of Women Barristers

Interesting Cases

Thomas v Warwickshire CC [2011] EWHC 772 (QB) - Liability of highway authority to cyclist for concrete deposit on highway - scope of section 41 Highways Act 1980 (D)
Haynes v North Wiltshire DC QBD, Bristol DR 4/3/11 - Claim for harassment and stress related illness against local authority employer (D)
Rhiya Malin Inquest (Verdict 15/12/10) - Death of 2 year old as a result of neck entrapment in a playhouse at a private nursery (Nursery / Employees)
Button v Caerphilly CBC [2010] EWCA Civ 1311 - Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare Regulations 1992 and definition of "traffic route" - importance of oral submissions (D)
Harvey v Plymouth CC [2010] EWCA Civ 860; [2010] P.I.Q.R.P18 - Occupier did not owe duty to a person who acted outside the scope of any implied permission and was therefore not a visitor to the land in question at the time of the accident (D) (led by Edward Faulks QC) 
R (Malin) v Crown Prosecution Service [2010] EWHC 1255 (Admin) - Judicial review of decision not to prosecute for manslaughter in case of 2 year old who died at a private nursery (Interested Party) 
Harries & Others v Powys CC (Settlement 14/1/09) Three linked work related stress claims by social workers (D) 
Cunningham-Jones (deceased) v (1) EST Bus Co. & (2) Vale of Glamorgan (settlement 19/11/2007) - Issue of whether a local authority/school owes a duty of care to a pupil on a school bus ( claim discontinued against D2) (D2) 
Jones v Caerphilly CBC [Cardiff CC (Judge Hickinbottom) 7/4/2006]  Lawtel LTL 30/8/2006 – No jurisdiction to consider a former employee's claim for breach of an implied term of trust and confidence in an employment contract where the matters raised by the claim had previously been determined by an employment tribunal in a finding that the employee had been unfairly dismissed (D) 
Maloney v Torfaen CBC [2005] EWCA Civ 1762; [2006] PIQR P21; Times 10/1/06 – No liability under OLA 1984 to tenant taking short-cut who fell into unfenced pedestrian subway and suffered brain injury (D)
Allison v Brighton & Hove City Council [2005] EWCA Civ 548 – Claimant penalised in costs for inflation of claim (D)
S (a patient) v Boswell (QBD) [Lawtel LTLPI 26/5/05] – Claimant awarded substantial damages in PVS claim (C)
Wallis v Balfour Beatty [2003] EWCA Civ 72 – Foreseeability of employee risking his own safety in performance of his duties (D)
Wedlake v West Somerset DC [Current Law 03/2070] – Meaning of “house in multiple occupation” (D)
Goose v Wilson Sandford (No.2) [2001] Lloyds Reports PN 189 – Accountant’s negligence: claims for alleged fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and constructive trust (D) (led by Ronald Walker QC)
Burrows v Vauxhall Motors [1998] PIQR P48 –Costs and payments into court (C) (led by Timothy Stow QC)