In the spotlight - Katie Hooper

This article first featured on eprivateclient and was published on 22 March 2024.

Katie Hooper is a partner in the Mourant Jersey office, practising in litigation and dispute resolution, specialising in contentious trusts and private client matters. 

She is an experienced advocate, being an Advocate of the Royal Court of Jersey and having previously practised at the Bar of England and Wales, in commercial chancery law.

Having acted and appeared in a number of complex, high-value and multi-jurisdictional trust and commercial litigation cases in Jersey, she also regularly advises trustees and beneficiaries on issues arising in the course of the administration of trust structures (both contentious and non-contentious).

Katie is also an appointed Trusts and Estates Practitioner (TEP) by STEP.

Why do you specialise in this area?

My journey into dispute resolution started with being drawn to the idea of appearing in court. This is an aspect of my role that I still relish as I enjoy the challenge of not knowing exactly how the hearing will play out, no matter how well-prepared one is. It's a process that certainly keeps me on my toes! There is huge intellectual stimulation to be had in dispute resolution generally as no two disputes are ever the same and I feel very lucky to find my day-to-day work so engaging.

I find the contentious trusts work, which comprises the majority of my practice, fast-paced and interesting but, in addition to that, as the trusts I deal with are usually family structures, specialising in such work requires a nuanced, thoughtful and careful approach. It gives great opportunity to build strong relationships with clients and intermediaries.

Why is dispute resolution so important to the industry?

There will always be disagreements over people's rights and obligations and correspondingly there is a need for high-calibre lawyers who are able to guide people through those disputes and assist them in finding a resolution, whether through settlement or through the court system.

Sometimes a disputes lawyer is instructed by individuals who are arm's length or not personally interested in the outcome, but often their clients are emotionally-invested in the outcome and - when you strip out the legal arguments and take a human view of the dispute resolution process - a disputes lawyer will be dealing with one of the most difficult and unsettled periods in their clients' lives. Efficient and effective stewardship of a dispute is key; it can make all the difference to the toll of the process on the client and, of course, to the outcome. 

What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve received?

One of the best practical pieces of advice I received when training as a barrister was to have courage in my convictions and to nail my colours to the mast when providing advice to clients. When you start out, it can be difficult to express yourself confidently as you feel that there is always someone more experienced than you. But, if you've researched a point and reached an informed conclusion as to the merits and best course of action, that's the time to back yourself and instil confidence in your client by the mode of delivery. This was really useful to me, particularly in the early part of my career. 

What are your favourite ways to relax/switch off from work?

Spending time with my family is my favourite way to switch off, though with three young children, 'relaxing' is perhaps not the right way to describe it. There is something soothing though in the inevitability of the evening routine with children after a hard day of work and, at the moment, I am enjoying reading some of my favourite books from my childhood to my eldest.

A little-known fact about me is that I enjoy knitting and do find this very relaxing. My repertoire is fairly limited but I make a reasonable, personalised Christmas stocking!

What’s your go-to karaoke song?

I have to admit that I am a huge karaoke fan - I have spent countless hours hogging the mic whenever karaoke opportunities have presented themselves. This is a hard question as I have lots of go-to songs but Journey's Don't Stop Believin' or Bonnie Tyler's Total Eclipse of the Heart usually get rolled-out early evening!

If you couldn’t do your current role what would your dream job be?

Growing up, I wanted to be an actor but now, my alternative dream job would be a vet, as I love animals. In my current job, I interact with people all day every day and really enjoy that sociable aspect of my role, but it might be quite fun to switch to animals. There would probably be less biting back than in litigation!