Catherine Newman QC 1979 (QC 1995)
Profile
Catherine 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. She was awarded a prestigious Harmsworth Scholarship by the Middle Temple and began practice in 13 Old Square (now Maitland Chambers) in 1980.
Catherine is a multi-specialist litigator with considerable experience of cases of business disputes (contracts, warranties, tort, agency, fiduciary duties, restitution and the like), civil fraud, asset tracing, trusts, joint ventures, partnership, LLPs, corporate and shareholder and investor disputes in many areas of business (including mining and many types of chemical and industrial processes), hedge fund and private equity fund investments; insolvency and real property. She is frequently instructed in cases involving several areas of law and multiple jurisdictions. Current international work includes instructions for Shell Pension Fund (a Dutch entity) in litigation brought against it in the BVI by the Liquidators of Fairfield Sentry (a Madoff feeder fund) and, in Jersey, litigation by a group of siblings in relation to the administration of a series of valuable charitable trusts set up following the compromise of earlier litigation about the validity of a will.
She is happy to work with specialist teams in any area of law and has done so in cases relating to planning matters, money divorces, intellectual property; ships; reinsurance, and local authorities’ obligations, for example.
Catherine acted for the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham at all stages of the litigation concerning the capacity of Local Authorities to engage in swap transactions and for several local authorities in the subsequent stages of that particular debacle where banks and local authorities alike claimed restitution from one another.
She has acted in many other well known cases including BCCI, Maxwell and Madoff. 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 was Leading Counsel to the DTI Inspectors in the inquiry into the flotation of Mirror Group plc.
She has appeared in the courts of the Isle of Man and the BVI and has attended hearings accompanying advocates in Jersey. She has also appeared in the Tribunal de Commerce in Luxembourg.
She is called to the Bar of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court and is registered to appear in the courts of the DIFC. She has acted as an arbitrator and acted for many clients in arbitrations and mediations.
She is recommended by Chambers UK Directory in Chancery: Commercial, Chancery: Traditional, Restructuring/Insolvency, Fraud: Civil, Company and Partnership, she is also listed as a leading silk by Chambers Global in Dispute Resolution and by The Legal 500 in Commercial Litigation, Company and Partnership, Insolvency and Private Client: Trusts and Probate.
Judicial Appointments: Deputy High Court Judge, Recorder of the Crown Court (authorised to sit at the Old Bailey), Lieutenant-Bailiff of the Royal Court of Guernsey.
Notable Cases
JD Wetherspoon PLC v Jason Harris & Ors (2013)
Sycamore Bidco Ltd v Sean Breslin (2013)
Sycamore Bidco Ltd v Sean Breslin, Andrew Dawson (2012)
Shiraz Boghani v Bashir Nathoo (2011)
Revenue & Customs Commissioners v Noorasa Begum (2010)
Liquidators of Madoff Securities International v Yacht Bull Corp & Financier Meeschaert SA (2010)
Howell & Ors (Trustees of the Joicey Settlements) v Marcus Lees-Millais & Ors (2009)
JD Wetherspoon PLC v Van de Berg & Co Ltd [2009]
John David Curtis v Lockheed Martin UK Holdings Ltd (2008)
Gamlestaden Fastigheter AB v Baltic Partners Limited & Ors (2007)
J D Wetherspoon PLC v Van De Berg & Co Ltd (2007)
Apex Frozen Foods Ltd (In Liquidation) v Abdul Ali (2007)
Hill (As Trustee In Bankruptcy Of Nurkowski) v Spread Trustee Company Ltd & Anor (2006)
Mahme Trust v Lloyds TSB Bank PLC (2004)
GE Capital Commercial Finance Ltd v Sutton (2004)
Somerset-Leeke & Anor v Kay Trustees & Anor (2004)
Michael Bernand Worwood & Paul Edward Pike v Leisure Merchandising Services Ltd & Ors (2001)
Profinance Trust SA v Gladstone (2001)
Satnam Investments Ltd v Dunlop Heywood & Ors (1998)
Re Hamlet International PLC (1998)
Transit Casualty Co v The Policyholders’ Protection Board (1991)
Barclays Bank PLC v Hammersmith LBC (1991)
Memberships
Catherine is a Lay Member of the Council of University College London.
She is a member of the Chancery Bar Association, COMBAR, ACTAPS and the Professional Negligence Bar Association.
Qualifications
LLB Hons (Lond) First Class
