Kennedys mourn sad loss of partner whose 'smile lit up the room'

International law firm Kennedys has announced the loss of a “much loved” partner, Katherine Proctor (pictured), who sadly passed away in July at the age of 41 following a long illness.

Tributes have been paid to Katherine – or Kat to those who knew her – as “a truly outstanding lawyer and a very dear friend.”

Katherine joined Kennedys in 2018 as a partner in the firm’s London office and became a senior partner and co-chair of Kennedys’ International Arbitration Group.

She specialised in insurance, reinsurance and general commercial dispute resolution (litigation, arbitration and alternative dispute resolution), working primarily on complex, high value and multi-jurisdiction disputes.

Chambers described her as “simply superb” and Kennedys said everyone who worked with her agreed.

The firm said Katherine was “dedicated, driven and relentless in her desire to deliver the best outcomes for clients”, but equally generous with her time and effort when it came to helping colleagues.

In recent years, Katherine had supported the BEE programme, which provides financial literacy workshops for 9 to 11-year-olds. She was also a mentor for The Big Alliance, which allows secondary school and sixth form students to meet business professionals to mentor them on core employability competencies.

Katherine read law at Northumbria University where she was awarded two prestigious prizes for her work and graduated in 2003 with a first-class honours degree.

She worked first for Ince & Co then Clyde & Co before joining Kennedys.

The firm said colleagues, former colleagues and clients will remember Katherine, “not just for her professional excellence but for her infectious personality – fun, fearless and a proud Geordie lass whose smile lit up the room”.

Nick Thomas, senior partner, said: “I am still struggling to accept that we will never see her again. She had so much more to give and will be greatly missed by all who knew her.”

Suzanne Liversidge, global managing partner, added: “Kat was a tremendous force of nature in every way. She was a truly outstanding lawyer whose commitment to Kennedys was delivered with unparalleled tenacity and passion.

“So many people have reached out to express their sadness at the news and I hope that her family will take comfort in the fact that Kat made such a positive impression on those who knew her, worked with her and loved her as a colleague and a very dear friend.”

Katherine was the much-loved daughter of Margaret and Tom, twin sister to Helen and devoted aunt to Jack and Olivia.

Donations, if desired, can be made to The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity here.