Blog
The privilege against self-incrimination and its use in civil fraud proceedings
Katie Allard
Katie is an Associate in the Dispute Resolution Team. She has a wide-ranging commercial practice with particular focus on complex civil fraud claims, boardroom and shareholder disputes, and breach of contract claims, acting for both claimants and defendants.
Katie’s broad practice also includes professional negligence claims, reputation and media, and contentious trusts and probate.
Katie has experience acting for clients in obtaining or opposing freezing injunctions. She also has experience as part of a supervising solicitor’s team on the execution of search orders.
Katie often works on matters with an international dimension, whether litigating in London on behalf of international clients or acting for UK and non-UK based clients in multi-jurisdictional disputes.
Katie joined Kingsley Napley in February 2012 as a paralegal in the Dispute Resolution team and completed her training contract with Kingsley Napley, qualifying as a solicitor in September 2017.
Katie is involved in a number of projects aimed at addressing issues affecting the local community, particularly homelessness and social inclusion, and is an active member of the firm’s Charities and Community and Responsible Business Committees. Katie acts as a Professional Ambassador for Aspiring Solicitors and volunteers as a caseworker for Amicus.
Recent cases
- Acting for a company in a claim against one of its directors for fraud and breach of duty, including misappropriation of company funds and making a secret profit.
- Successfully obtaining an injunction against two individuals following attempts to appoint them as company directors in a hostile take-over bid at an EGM, preventing them from being held out as and / or acting as directors of the company.
- Successfully defending a claim brought by an individual for a declaration that they held shares in a client company.
- Acting for the claimant in a landmark Supreme Court case which resulted in change to the law of dishonesty, overturning a 35 year old test from the case of R v Ghosh [1982].
- Acting for a sports agency in a claim against a top Formula One team for unpaid commission arising from a sponsorship introduction.
- Acting for a government body in a professional negligence claim against its former solicitors.
- Acting for the defendant in one of the first cases to provide guidelines on the meaning of the “serious harm” threshold in defamation law under section 1(1) of the Defamation Act and one of the first libel cases involving posts on twitter.
- Acting for beneficiaries in successfully defending a challenge to a will on the basis of want of knowledge and approval and undue influence.
professional societies and memberships
- Young Fraud Lawyers Association (YFLA) Committee Member
- Contentious Trusts Associates (ConTrA)
- London Young Lawyers Group
“ …may I take this opportunity of thanking you all for the advice, support and assistance that you have given throughout this process, which has contributed to us reaching an early and excellent outcome.”
A client
"Thank you again for fighting my corner so astoundingly.”
A client
"Katie’s drafting is “intelligent, dignified, assertive and to the point” and demonstrates a “fierce grace.”
A client
"It means a lot to me […] to have two formidable women doing me justice.”
A client
"Thank you again for guiding me through this process.”
A client