Katie Hooper

Overview

I’m a Partner of Mourant Ozannes (Jersey) LLP and an Advocate of the Royal Court of Jersey in our Litigation & Dispute Resolution practice.

I'm an experienced advocate and have appeared before the Royal Court on many occasions in contentious matters. I also practised at the Bar of England and Wales from 2009 – 2012 and 2017 – 2019. Therefore, I have honed my legal skills both at the chancery commercial bar of England and Wales and my busy international litigation practice in Jersey.

I have experience in a broad spectrum of litigation matters, including contentious trusts and private client, insolvency, banking and professional negligence. I have acted in complex and high-value trust and commercial litigation in Jersey, both as the lead advocate and as part of a wider team.

I have previously been named as one of eprivateclient's Top 35 Under 35. I received a bronze award in the 'IFC Lawyer of the Year – Senior/Managing Associate' category at the Citywealth Future Leaders Awards 2020 and I was named by Citywealth in their Future Top 100: 2020 List.

I joined Mourant's Jersey Litigation practice in 2012 and became a Partner in 2022.

Professional qualifications

• Advocate of the Royal Court of Jersey, 2014
• Barrister, England & Wales, 2008 (currently non-practising)
• Bar Vocational Course (Outstanding)
• MA (Hons) Jurisprudence: Jesus College, Oxford University, (First Class Honours)

Memberships

• Lincoln’s Inn
• Chancery Bar Association (Overseas Member)
• The Law Society of Jersey

Work Highlights

• Successfully obtained an ex parte freezing order in Jersey against a foreign defendant, which froze his Jersey-situs assets up to the value of circa GBP 200million, in a multi-jurisdictional case, in support of extant proceedings in the Middle East and with parallel proceedings commenced in England, France and the BVI. 
• Appeared in multi-jurisdictional freezing order proceedings on behalf of defendants, who applied to set aside the injunctions obtained ex parte against them on jurisdictional grounds and on grounds of material non-disclosure by the plaintiff in the ex parte application for injunctive relief. 
• Recently successfully obtained freezing orders in the matrimonial context on behalf of a husband against a wife, in support of underlying financial ancillary relief proceedings ongoing in England and Wales.
• Gas Plus Khalakan Ltd v New Age and Range Energy Resources 2015 (1) JLR N23; [2015] JRC 078- Katie acted and appeared as an advocate in a matter arising out of a complex shareholder dispute relating to the development of oil reserves in the Khalakan Block in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and, in particular, the provision of information to a minority shareholder in the shareholding structure. In this decision, Katie defended a summary judgment application, formulating, and ultimately succeeding on, a jurisdictional argument. 
• Kuwait Oil Tanker Company SAK v Al Mutawa and Chadwick [2016] JRC 182- Katie acted for the sole creditor in a deceased bankrupt’s estate in seeking to enforce a multi-million pound judgment debt by bringing breach of trust proceedings against a relative of the deceased bankrupt. 
• Representation of A Limited and In the Matter of the B Trust [2017] JRC 024- Katie successfully acted for a trustee in its application for rectification of an instrument made under a discretionary trust, on the basis that the instrument failed to carry out the intentions of the settlor
• Acted for two settlors in successful applications to set aside dispositions into trust (which had exposed the settlors to significant tax liabilities in England) on grounds of mistake
• Acted for the trustee of a trust worth in the region of US$350m in a complex dispute involving removal of trustees, reasonable security for potential liabilities of the trustee and regarding the validity of certain trust documents.

What the directories say

In Legal 500 UK 2024, Katie is ranked as a Next Generation Partner and a Recommended Lawyer in Dispute Resolution. A source comments: "Katie Hooper is exceptional – very personable and responsive as well as greatly knowledgeable. It has been a pleasure to instruct her."

Katie Hooper is listed as a Rising Leader in the Private Client Global Elite Directory 2023.

In Legal 500 UK 2023, Katie is ranked as a Next Generation Partner and a Recommended Lawyer in Dispute Resolution and is described as "great in Court and always prepares thoroughly. Her calm demeanour always puts a client at ease."

Legal 500 UK 2022 recognise Katie as a Rising Star in Dispute Resolution, stating: "Counsel Katie Hooper is an experienced advocate who successfully obtained freezing orders in a multijurisdictional action against a high-wealth beneficial owner." 

Legal 500 UK 2021 lists Katie as a Key Lawyer and a "name to note at counsel level."