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 2010 (Personal Injury) - She "is widely held out as one of the leading personal injury juniors on the circuit." She has particular expertise in claims involving local authorities and 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." 

In Chambers & Partners 2009 she is 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”. In the 2008 edition she was described 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.

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

Interesting Cases

Harvey v Plymouth CC [QBD, LTL 18/11/09] - occupier's liability to drunk man who tripped over defective fence and fell down 20 foot drop sustaining brain injury - implied licence to claimant based on reasonable foreseeability of use despite absence of actual knowledge of ownership or use of the land by the occupier - 75% contributory negligence (D)
Turner v Eddy & Christchurch BC [Winchester CC 18/2/09] No liability on highway authority to provide surface water drainage to highway (D2) 
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)
Minister v Penwith Housing Association & others (mediation 16/8/07) – multi-party fatal claim - Issue of whether employer in construction contract who employs a clerk of works owes a duty of care to tenant of property in respect of defective workmanship/supervision by contractors (D1)
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)
Kedgley v Britannia Airways [Romford CC 1/9/04] – Warsaw Convention claim for accident on aircraft (C)
Sandiford v Newport CC [Cardiff CC 7/7/04] – No liability for death of man who fell from unfenced side of pavement (D)
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)
Brocket Hall (Jersey) Ltd v Clague [Current Law 98/4367] – Proprietary estoppel as an overriding interest (D)