Kate is developing a broad practice across all of Chambers’ main areas, with a particular focus on commercial litigation, group actions, and environmental disputes.
Kate’s recent work includes appearing in the Court of Appeal in an appeal against a planning decision (led by Patrick Green KC), assisting in an appeal regarding recognition and enforcement of an arbitration award (led by Patrick Green KC), and advising a sports national governing body (led by Adam Heppinstall KC). She regularly appears in the County Court and has been instructed as sole counsel in interlocutory hearings in a $2.6m claim in the Chancery Division.
Before joining chambers, Kate completed pupillage at a leading commercial set, where she gained specialist knowledge in professional negligence and insurance. Prior to her legal studies, for which she was awarded the Lord Denning and Lord Brougham scholarships, Kate ranked second in her year as an undergraduate at Oxford and interned at UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.
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Expertise
Commercial
Kate has significant experience of commercial litigation and has a particular interest in disputes related to energy, commodities, sports, and technology.
Examples of Kate’s recent work include:
- Appearing as sole counsel in several interlocutory hearings on behalf of the claimant in proceedings for a $2.6 million debt arising from the financing of a South African gold mine (Alphier Capital LLP v Blyvoor Gold Capital (Pty) Ltd). Kate succeeded at a heavy application hearing, obtaining the addition of a claimant such that the proceedings survived the defendant’s strike out application, as well appearing in a third-party disclosure application and a consequentials hearing.
- Instructions to assist Patrick Green KC in Infrastructure Services v The Kingdom of Spain, concerning the recognition and enforcement of a €120 million arbitration award (one of the Lawyer’s Top 10 Appeals of 2024);
- Instructions in proceedings for an unfair prejudice petition, led by Henry Warwick KC;
- Assisting with a claim by the victim of APP fraud against an e-money institution for breach of fiduciary duty and unjust enrichment; and
- Varied research and drafting on two high-profile claims under s90A of FSMA (including one of The Lawyer’s Top 20 Cases of 2024) (as a pupil).
Representative cases
grid list-
Alphier Capital LLP v Blyvoor Gold Capital (Pty) Ltd [2024] EWHC 2649 (ChD)
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Alphier Capital LLP v Blyvoor Gold Capital (Pty) Ltd (Ordinary application, ChD, before Deputy Master Linwood, on 20th September 2024, unreported)
Group Actions and Competition
Kate recently undertook a five-month part-time secondment to the Competition and Markets Authority, where she gained unique insight into all aspects of competition litigation. Her work covered the CMA’s involvement in:
- Director disqualification in competition cases;
- Remedy negotiations pursuant to a Chapter II breach;
- Possible interventions in High Court proceedings; and
- Varied consumer matters.
As a pupil, Kate gained experience in various group actions, including:
- A large-scale environmental nuisance claim;
- The second wave of the NOx emissions cases;
- The PPI group action; and
- A proposed group action arising from a terrorist attack.
Public and Environmental Law
Kate has growing experience in public law. Examples of her recent work include:
- Acting for the claimant/appellant in an appeal against a planning decision in the Court of Appeal (led by Patrick Green KC) (Wathen-Fayed v Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities [2024] EWCA Civ 507);
- Research on multiple matters before the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (as a pupil); and
- Varied advice for government departments, ranging from disputes concerning PPE procurement to professional negligence (as a pupil).
Kate has a particular interest in environmental law, having studied Geography at university. During pupillage she worked on a large-scale environmental nuisance claim, and the second wave of the NOx emissions cases.
Representative cases
grid list-
Wathen-Fayed v Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities [2024] EWCA Civ 507
Company, Insolvency and Bankruptcy
Kate has varied experience of company, bankruptcy, and insolvency law.
Examples of her recent work include:
- Instruction in proceedings for an unfair prejudice petition, led by Henry Warwick KC;
- Appearing in the Winding Up Court and in bankruptcy hearings, including successfully resisting an order in the amount of £1.2 million;
- Drafting bankruptcy petitions; and
- Drafting written submissions on behalf of a Respondent for proceedings before the Takeover Panel Hearings Committee (as a pupil).
Sports
Kate has a particular interest in sports disputes, whether commercial or regulatory. She is a keen sportswoman who played Lacrosse for Wales at junior level and was awarded a Full Blue at Oxford University.
Examples of her recent work include:
- Advising a major sporting governing body on their regulatory framework (led by Adam Heppinstall KC);
- Advice (as a pupil) in relation to a commercial dispute between a La Liga football club, major international player, and a football agent, involving allegations of breach of fiduciary duty;
- Drafting pleadings (as a pupil) in a dispute between two major sportswear brands; and
- Winning the Littleton Chambers Sports Law Essay Prize 2023.
Banking, Finance and Consumer
Kate regularly appears in court in consumer and consumer finance matters, including:
- PPI, solar panel, and motor finance commission claims;
- Acting for energy companies in consumer disputes; and
- Acting for banks in mortgage-related proceedings.
Professional Negligence and Insurance
Kate has significant experience of high-value insurance disputes and is well-positioned to advise in such cases. Her experience includes advice on coverage, notification, and aggregation, as well as brokers’ negligence and advising on potential unregulated insurance policies.
Kate has similarly specialist knowledge of professional negligence claims, having worked on disputes across the legal, insurance, construction, and financial services industries. She is developing experience in regulatory disputes.
Instructing Kate Gardiner
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- COMBAR
- Environmental Law Foundation (pro bono member)
Education
- BVS, City University – Distinction
- GDL, City University – Distinction
- BA (Hons) Geography, University of Oxford (Hertford College) – First Class (2nd in year)
Scholarships and Prizes
- 1st Place – Littleton Chambers Sports Law Essay Prize 2023
- Lord Denning Scholarship, Lincoln’s Inn
- Lord Brougham Scholarship, Lincoln’s Inn
- Gibbs Prize (proxime accessit) for Geography, University of Oxford
- Highly commended in the Royal Geographical Society DARG Dissertation Prize (top three dissertations in country)
- Hertford College Final Honour School Prize
- Hertford College Academic Scholarship
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