Harbottle & Lewis LLP

Family

Widely regarded as one of the UK's most revered family lawyers, Catherine leads the family practice and is the firm's senior partner.

Catherine has established her reputation at the pinnacle of family law. Her practice encompasses the full spectrum of family law in instances of relationship breakdown, and she advises on the highest profile, highest value and most complex cases in the family courts.

Her clients typically face significant public and media scrutiny; Catherine resolves their most personal issues with empathy, sensitivity, determination and discretion. She’s described as having an “incredibly impressive strategic approach” and “unparalleled” client care skills. In April 2024 she was elected as the firm’s first female senior partner.

Depending on each client’s needs, Catherine’s approach is tailor made; whether that be successful negotiating outside of the court process or tough litigating within it. Her work frequently involves high net worth individuals, ranging from successful CEOs and investment bankers, to sports stars and entertainers. Catherine specialises in complex financial matters, frequently advising her clients with regard to assets and trust structures, including locating hidden assets.

Catherine is also highly experienced in all private law children matters including residence and contact, leave to remove children from the jurisdiction (both achieving and preventing), specific issue applications and prohibited steps orders.

Catherine is particularly concerned with mental health issues for children and adolescents; she has for some time been involved with the Anna Freud Centre and is a trustee. She is also a trustee of the National Gallery Foundation Trust.

Catherine joined Lee & Thompson as a partner in 2007 and founded the firm’s Family group. She joined Harbottle & Lewis in April 2017, bringing the Lee & Thompson Family group with her.

Catherine completed a degree in English Literature at McGill University in Montreal, Canada before moving to the UK to read Law at Oxford University.