Connect with meKate specialises in medico-legal and professional indemnity matters.
On instruction from a large indemnifier, Kate advises health practitioners through investigations by various regulatory authorities, complaints processes and court proceedings. She has appeared in the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal, the Human Rights Review Tribunal, Coronial Inquests, and hearings and appeals – from the District Court up to the Supreme Court. She has experience of legal issues arising from the application of the Privacy Act 2020, the Official Information Act 1982 and the Health Information Privacy Code 2020.
Kate attained an international perspective in the medico-legal space, having worked in medical negligence and personal injury law in Ireland.
She was named a finalist for the ANZIIF Young Insurance Professional of the Year and recognised as a ‘Rising Star’ by NZ Lawyer in 2022.
- Assisting clients through complaints processes, and investigations addressing competence concerns, conduct concerns, and personal health matters.
- Advising healthcare professionals on regulatory and patient privacy matters.
- Regularly acts as junior counsel for senior litigators and Kings Counsel in regulatory and court proceedings, including a case of significance for the health profession in the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court (Christopher Ryan v Health and Disability Commissioner [2023] NZSC 42).
- Advising on professional negligence claims brought against real estate agents.
- Facilitating the defence and resolution of medical negligence and personal injury claims against medical practitioners.
- Advising on contentious and non-contentious employment matters, including restructuring and redundancy, dismissal, performance management and obligations around workplace health and safety (including addressing workplace bullying).
- Representing clients in mediation and negotiations to settle employment disputes.
- Managing an employment law phone helpline service, available to the 10,000 + members of Federated Farmers of New Zealand Inc. The service included drafting and maintaining bespoke employment agreements and policies unique to employers in primary industries.
- Assisting 45 clients in negotiations to settle ‘clawback’ claims against the liquidators of Ross Asset Management (New Zealand’s largest Ponzi scheme).
- Professional Liability
- Healthcare + Life Sciences
- Professions + Business Services
- New Zealand Law Society
- Wellington Medico-Legal Society