Kate Holderness

Kate is ranked by the Legal 500 as a leading junior in commercial litigation and has been praised for her “very good written submissions”. She is described as “very diligent and … an impressive advocate”. Kate has experience both acting as junior counsel and as sole counsel across a broad range of commercial disputes.

Current and recent instructions include:

• Acting for Mikhail Fridman on an application challenging the jurisdiction of the High Court where service had been effected at his house in London after the imposition of UK sanctions (Agrofirma Oniks LLC v ABH Ukraine Ltd [2025] EWHC 300 (Comm)). Led by Nicholas Craig KC. Instructed by Gherson LLP.
• Acting as sole counsel in an arbitration in respect of a dispute arising out of a commercial contract between Chinese and Israeli entities involving allegations of fraud. Instructed by Clyde & Co.
• Acting for a Mexican tour operator on an application challenging the jurisdiction of the High Court in the context of a personal injury claim (Roach v Vallarta Adventure SA de CV [2023] EWHC 2674 (KB)). Instructed by Clyde & Co.
• Acting for the Libyan Investment Authority on a fraud claim against joint venture partners arising out of a proposed hotel development. Led by Andrew Onslow KC, instructed by Hogan Lovells.

Current and recent instructions include:

• Acting as junior counsel on a substantial arbitration claim brought by a financial services firm against its insurers under a PI Policy in respect of losses in excess of £100 million. Led by Rachel Ansell KC and instructed by Herbert Smith Freehills.
• On an application by the Joint Administrators of Lehman Brothers Holdings PLC to the High Court for directions in relation to certain distributions, and on appeal to the Court of Appeal, led by Adrian Beltrami KC and instructed by Hogan Lovells.
• Assisting Sir Ross Cranston with his independent Assurance Review of the Customer Review undertaken by Lloyds Banking Group following the criminal misconduct at the HBOS Impaired Assets Office for London and the South East. The counsel team was led by Rory Phillips QC.

Kate is ranked by the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners as a leading junior in insurance and reinsurance and has been described as “hardworking, efficient, knowledgeable, unflappable; a junior with good judgement”, a “good cross-examiner and provides good support for her leader”, “very knowledgeable in insurance law”, “incredibly user-friendly, responsive and gets up to speed really quickly” and “incredibly impressive. Understated but effective”.

Kate has an incredibly strong insurance practice. She acts for a wide variety of clients in large-scale actions involving insurers and reinsurers, brokers and insureds. Recent instructions include:

• Acting for a number of claimants in a market-wide insurance dispute concerning a substantial number of aircraft detained in Russia (Russian Aircraft Operator Policy Claims [2024] EWHC 734 (Comm), [2024] EWHC 3300 (Comm). Led by Tom Weitzman KC. Instructed by Morgan Lewis & Bockius.
• Acting for a housing association in a negligence claim against its brokers, arising out of the brokers’ failure to notify insurers of a potential claim (Watford Community Housing Trust v Arthur J Gallagher Insurance Brokers Ltd [2025] EWHC 743 (Comm)). Led by Tom Weitzman KC. Instructed by Devonshires LLP.
• Acting as junior counsel on a substantial arbitration claim brought by a financial services firm against its insurers under a PI Policy in respect of losses in excess of £100 million. Led by Rachel Ansell KC and instructed by Herbert Smith Freehills.
• Advising a Syrian insurer in relation to a potential claim against reinsurers following damage to a chemical plant in Syria.
• Advising a Syrian broker on the jurisdiction of the English court over a claim brought by an insured following damage to industrial facilities in Syria.

Kate also regularly advises insurers in relation to potential coverage disputes.

At the beginning of 2016, Kate undertook a secondment to the JLT Group where she worked with their in-house legal team on the implementation of the Insurance Act 2015.

Kate is ranked by the Legal 500 as a leading junior in international arbitration and commercial litigation. She is described as “a really impressive senior junior who is all over the detail of a case and produces excellent written work. A very strong advocate.”

Kate has considerable experience of international commercial arbitrations conducted under the auspices of a number of major arbitral institutions, as well as of arbitration proceedings in the English High Court. Current and recent instructions include:

• Acting as sole counsel in an arbitration in respect of a dispute arising out of a commercial contract between Chinese and Israeli entities involving allegations of fraud. Instructed by Clyde & Co.
• Acting as junior counsel in relation to two credit insurance arbitrations, led by Adam Kramer KC and instructed by Enyo Law LLP.
• Acting as junior counsel on a substantial arbitration claim brought by a financial services firm against its insurers under a PI Policy in respect of losses in excess of £100 million. Led by Rachel Ansell KC and instructed by Herbert Smith Freehills.
• Acting for Nova Group Investments BV, in an ICSID dispute with Romania. Led by Christopher Harris KC.