Catherine studied Law at the University of Dundee, graduating with a 2:1 (LLB honours) degree. She completed a Legal Practice Course in Nottingham before returning to Northern Ireland to complete her solicitor’s training.
Catherine qualified in 1999 and since then has worked exclusively in the realm of defence personal injury litigation. Catherine joined Carson McDowell in 2015 and since October 2019 has been a Partner in the Defence Insurance Litigation department. In December 2021 she took over the role of joint head of the Defence Insurance litigation team which she runs alongside her colleague Cathal O’Neill. This is a vibrant and busy team of 10 lawyers which handles a wide range of employer’s/public, motor and disease claims on behalf of insurance companies, loss adjusters and self-insured organisations.
Catherine’s expertise lies with employer’s liability and public liability claims with emphasis on the retail, engineering, education, social housing and marine sectors. Her caseload is varied and covers slips and trips, bullying and harassment in the workplace, accidents at work, industrial disease claims (to include noise induced hearing loss, Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome, asbestos related disease, and repetitive strain injury), historical abuse, motor and holiday litigation cases.