Kate Egerton

Kate is passionate about upholding the right to equal treatment, and securing wider change through litigation.  She has brought a number of successful claims on behalf of disabled individuals regarding access to voting, transport, and information regarding welfare benefits and health care. 

Kate’s main area of expertise is discrimination law and claims under the Human Rights Act 1998.

Her discrimination work includes representing claimants in relation to securing equal access to goods and services in both the private and public sector, including bringing successful compensation claims.

Kate represented the successful claimant in R (Andrews) v Cabinet Office, which clarified that people with sight loss should be able to vote without assistance, a claim against the BBC in respect of sex discrimination regarding TV licence prosecutions, a blind individual who fell from a train platform edge that didn’t have tactile paving, and a judicial review of mass Ticket Office closures. She also represented Dr Osman in successful claims against the DWP regarding inaccessible communications and a case against Croydon in respect of its discriminatory Council Tax Reduction Scheme. Kate also regularly acts for individuals in race discrimination claims.

Kate is currently working on cases involving discriminatory algorithms in public body decision making, a group claim regarding access to trans healthcare and a number of cases concerning accessible voting for blind individuals.

Kate also has significant experience representing claimants under the Human Rights Act 1998, particularly in relation to the right to a private and family life, deprivation of liberty and the right to non-discrimination. She is regularly instructed by the Official Solicitor to represent children and adults who lack capacity who have been failed by social care services.

Kate’s clients are often funded by legal aid. She also works under conditional fee agreements and for privately paying individuals.

Kate is recognised in the Legal 500 and is an Accredited Legal Representative. She joined the firm in 2011 as a trainee, qualifying in 2013. Prior to joining Leigh Day, Kate worked for a number of NGOs, including the Environmental Law Foundation, Refugee and Migrant Justice and the Howard League for Penal Reform.