Catherine qualified as a solicitor in 2007 after earning her LLB (Hons) from the University of Edinburgh and completing her Diploma in Legal Practice. She joined Digby Brown in 2020 and is based in our Edinburgh office.
As a Partner in our Non Accidental Team, Catherine specialises in claims arising from historic child abuse, domestic abuse, assaults and harassment. She has represented clients in both the Sheriff Court and the Court of Session achieving significant recoveries. She has built a reputation for her meticulous approach, strategic litigation and commitment to achieving justice for survivors.
Catherine has particular expertise in cases involving harassment and coercive or controlling behaviour. She recently acted for the successful pursuer in a significant Court of Session action brought under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997. The court found that a prolonged course of abusive conduct over many years amounted to harassment and awarded substantial damages. The decision was subsequently upheld by the Inner House on appeal, reinforcing important principles around domestic abuse, coercive control and civil remedies for harassment.
Catherine is a Notary Public, member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) and is certified by the Law Society of Scotland as a Trauma Informed Lawyer, acknowledging her understanding of the lasting effects of abuse and her commitment to supporting clients with sensitivity, respect and care.
Catherine was also the lead solicitor in the landmark case of B & W v The Congregation of the Sisters of Nazareth, proceedings that marked a turning point for survivors of institutional abuse in Scotland. In this case, two siblings sought damages for physical and emotional abuse they suffered in a children’s home run by Sisters of Nazareth. Although initially dismissed on limitation grounds, the appeal succeeded, with the court recognising that a fair trial was possible.
The significance of B & W goes well beyond the individual clients. The decision reaffirmed access to justice for survivors, many of whose claims - delayed by decades because of trauma, fear, or systemic failures - would otherwise be lost. The case underscored the importance of carefully scrutinising limitation and evidential obstacles in historic abuse claims and has helped pave the way for others to come forward.
With her combination of compassion, legal acumen and track record of achieving justice for survivors, Catherine brings to every case the personal commitment and professional rigour required to help clients navigate the most difficult chapters of their lives.
