Biography
Catherine is a commercial Partner and Head of French Desk. She has spent many years leading teams of bilingual or trilingual lawyers as General Counsel of international groups and has particular expertise in advising clients on cross-jurisdictional commercial issues.
For over a decade, she served as General Counsel and Board Member at Joseph, a luxury international fashion brand owned by Onward Holdings, a leading Japanese group listed on the Tokyo stock exchange. The legal team of Joseph supported other brands within the Onward group under Catherine’s leadership, as Catherine assumed directorial positions within retail and hospitality brands in the group.
Prior to joining Irwin Mitchell, Catherine was General Counsel for KellyDeli Group, a fast-growing Asian food brand supplying leading supermarkets and operating franchises, where she led a team of five lawyers advising over 11 jurisdictions.
Catherine’s career is resolutely Franco-British as well as international. In 2017, Catherine was made Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite (similar to OBE) by the French Republic in recognition for her Franco-British career in law, lexicography, education and business.
She currently sits on the boards of the Franco-British Lawyers’ Society, the Franco-British Data Society and is a member of the Advisory Council of the French Chamber of Commerce.
At Irwin Mitchell, Catherine heads up the French desk. Members of the desk support and advise francophone clients and French companies on the laws of England and Wales. Members of the desk also support UK clients on their operations in France and French-speaking jurisdictions.
In 2019, Catherine was named ‘In-House Lawyer of the Year’ at the Inspirational Women in Law Awards, a recognition highlighting her commitment to women in the legal profession.
