Celine O’Donovan

Celine is a solicitor in England & Wales specialising in claimant-side environmental and humanitarian group litigation; she qualified in March 2019. Celine has experience in England & Wales, US and UAE disputes (litigation and arbitration).

Legal expertise

At Leigh Day, Celine is predominantly working on group claims related to corporate accountability for forced labour and environmental nuisance.

Her experience at previous firms includes:

• Município de Mariana v BHP Group Plc [2022] EWCA Civ 951 Case No

• Viegas & Ors v Cutrale & Ors [2021] EWHC 2956 (Comm)

• De Havilland v. FX Networks, LLC 21 Cal. App. 5th 845 (2018)

Further experience

Celine began her career as a fellow at a Los Angeles trial-boutique, assisting in a claim for the right of publicity at the California Court of Appeal. She then trained at a leading international law firm, including seats in International Arbitration in London and Dubai.

Upon qualification, Celine moved to a leading claimant-side firm to follow her passion for environmental justice, working predominantly on the historic Município de Mariana v BHP Group Plc proceedings at the Court of Appeal of England & Wales, pursuing damages on behalf of over 750,000 people for a dam collapse in Brazil. Celine is continuing her work to advance the rights of those affected by international corporations at Leigh Day.

Education

BPP University - LLM and LPC

University of Oxford - undergraduate degree (jurisprudence)

Outside of work, Celine enjoys singing and playing guitar.