Overview
Katherine is an experienced education and employment law specialist who offers first class customer service, legal advice and advocacy.
Her practice now encompasses:
- Employment
- Education.
Katherine has undertaken a number of successful judicial and private mediations as an Accredited Mediation Advocate.
Katherine was educated at Cambridge University, United Kingdom, and Harvard University, United States. She completed her postgraduate Diploma in Law at City University and her Bar Vocational Course at BPP School of Law, where she was graded ‘Outstanding’. She has been a tenant of 3PB Barristers since the completion of her pupillage there.
Expertise
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Employment and discrimination Add this expertise to your shortlist Katherine is an experienced employment law specialist who has acted for and advised claimant and respondent employers in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors.
She offers particular expertise in relation to disability and other discrimination cases with a personal injury mental health aspect.
By way of example, recent cases include:
- A claim of alleged disability discrimination, relating to depression and stress at work, providing detailed advice in relation to case preparation
- Representation of a claimant manager in a high value claim for unfair dismissal and victimisation
- Representation of a respondent manager defending a race discrimination claim brought by the deceased’s executors with a high value personal injury aspect
- Representation of a respondent School Governing Body in relation to an unfair dismissal claim brought by an employee accused of lying about her qualifications
- Representation of a respondent nursery provider in relation to an unfair dismissal claim brought by an employee accused of sexual abuse of a child
- An alleged constructive “whistle-blowing” dismissal where the employee complained of a dangerous workplace
She has undertaken a number of successful judicial and private mediations as an Accredited Mediation Advocate.
In her employment practice she has a particular interest in the education sector and has acted in employment cases concerning staff at nurseries, schools and universities (see also Katherine’s Education Law profile).
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Education Add this expertise to your shortlist Katherine is an experienced education law specialist with a particular interest in special educational needs. She is familiar with the issues that may arise in relation to mental capacity in education cases.
She accepts instructions from local authorities, schools, parents, young people, students and universities, as well as employers/employees in the education sector, in relation to:
- Appeals and claims before the First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability)
- School admissions
- School exclusions
- Equality Act 2010 claims in the civil courts
- Judicial review
- Employment tribunal proceedings (see also Katherine’s Employment law profile).
Recent cases:
Katherine has acted in many complex cases concerning special educational, health and social care for post-16 and post-19 year olds in Education and Health and Care plans, including under the National Trial.
She has recently acted in appeals to the Upper Tribunal regarding the special educational provision for a physically disabled child with a fluctuating health condition, and regarding the interrelationship between the social care and special educational provision in an EHC plan for a young person over 19 years of age.
Other recent cases have involved disputes around:
- Educational negligence
- Home education of a child for medical reasons
- Special educational provision for children outside of the normal school day
- The level of therapeutic provision reasonably required to meet a child’s special educational needs
- Sensory profiles as special educational provision
- Disability discrimination – school exclusions
- Disability discrimination – failure to make reasonable adjustments
- Disability discrimination claims against universities by students who were required to withdraw from their courses.
Katherine also provides training in education law to a variety of different audiences, including local authorities, solicitors, university student advisors, lay panel members and educational experts.
She is herself a parent of young children.
Reported Case:
RB v Calderdale MBC (SEN): [2018] UKUT 390 (AAC)
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Public and Regulatory Add this expertise to your shortlist Katherine is an expert in all aspects of education law, with a particular interest in special educational needs. She accepts instructions from local authorities, schools, parents, young people, students and universities, as well as employers/employees in the education sector. Her busy caseload also includes judicial review cases in the education sector.
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Publications -
How the New National Restrictions to control the spread of Coronavirus (COVID19) impact education and school attendance
17th Nov 20203PB's specialist education law barrister Katherine Anderson reviews how the New National Restrictions to
control the spread of Coronavirus (COVID19) impact education and school attendance. -
Legal representation and cross-examination in university disciplinary proceedings and specific performance as a remedy - AB v University of XYZ
17th Nov 20203PB's Katherine Anderson reviews the case of AB v University of XYZ. Legal representation and cross-examination in university disciplinary proceedings and specific performance as a remedy.
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Council wins Judicial Review challenge to academy order
21st Sep 2020Council wins Judicial Review challenge to academy order
Katherine Anderson reviews Somerset County Council v Secretary of State for Education [2020] EWHC 1675 (Admin). -
Can a Tribunal use the “but for” test to decide whether a claimant was treated unfavourably because of something arising in consequence of their disability?
3rd Aug 2020Employment law barrister, Katherine Anderson analyses the case of Robinson v Department for Work and Pensions [2020] EWCA Civ 859 (7th July 2020).
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Attending a court to give evidence for the employer is not ‘‘work’’ for the purposes of the ‘furlough’ scheme
3rd Jul 20203PB's employment law barrister Katherine Anderson reviews the case of Fottles v Bourne Leisure.
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Disability discrimination claim for failure to make reasonable adjustments? – Rakova v London West Healthcare NHS Trust UKEAT/0043/19/LA
1st May 2020Rakova v London North West Healthcare NHS Trust UKEAT/0043/19/LA
Employees can often complain where they feel that their managers are not giving them the tools they need to do their jobs efficiently, effectively or productively. How does that situation relate to a disability discrimination claim for failure to make reasonable adjustments? This decision provides some guidance on the approach to be taken by the Tribunals in claims of disability discrimination by reason of a failure to make reasonable adjustments.
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Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme – how does it fit with the existing law on lay-offs and short-time working?
7th Apr 2020Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme – how does it fit with the existing law on lay-offs and short-time working?
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Long term disability benefits: it all depends on the contract
3rd Mar 2020Long term disability benefits: it all depends on the contract. Katherine Anderson on ICTS (UK) Limited v VISRAM [2020] EWCA Civ 202
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Reasonable adjustments – Is it relevant that the employee didn’t mention them?
7th Feb 2020Reasonable adjustments – Is it relevant that the employee didn’t mention them? Katherine Anderson analyses Shah v TIAA Ltd UKEAT/0180/19/BA, following her successful representation of the respondent employer in this appeal before the EAT.
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Legal advice privilege
8th Nov 2019Legal advice privilege: Katherine Anderson analyses Curless v Shell International Ltd [2019] EWCA Civ 1710
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The implications of Peninsula Business Service Ltd v Baker UKEAT/0241/16/RN on employer liability for acts of victimisation
13th Apr 20173PB Employment Barrister Katherine Anderson examines the implications of Peninsula v Baker on employer liability for acts of victimisation. Katherine Anderson examines if an employer can escape "scot-free" from liability for an act of victimisation if it is 'astute enough' to instruct an innocent third party – or employee - to carry it out.
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Recommendations ‘Highly intelligent, thorough in her work and is a tenacious barrister.’
Legal 500 2021/Leading Individual – EducationA strong advocate who enjoys a varied caseload which covers employment and education law.
Strengths: "She is extremely thorough and detailed in her preparation and advice. She is meticulous in her attention to detail and excellent for complex cases."
Chambers UK 2021/Employment - Western Bar - Band 4
Academic qualifications
- Cambridge University, United Kingdom
- Harvard University, United States
- Postgraduate Diploma in Law at City University
- Bar Vocational Course at BPP School of Law (Outstanding)
Scholarships
- Inner Temple Exhibition
Professional qualifications & appointments
- Accredited Mediation Advocate
Professional bodies
- Employment Law Bar Association (ELBA)
Direct Access
Katherine Anderson is qualified to accept instructions directly from members of the public and professional clients under the Direct Public Access scheme.
More Information