Kate Mason 1973 – 2023
It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Kate Mason, Legal Costs Consultant at PIC Legal Costs Specialists. Kate was such a loving, welcoming person and always had a smile on her face. She was dearly loved by both clients and colleagues.
Kate was a qualified Costs Lawyer with 17 years experience working in the costs field and a further 10 years working in commercial law firms as a paralegal. Prior to joining Partners In Costs Kate had been working at Irwin Mitchell in Sheffield since 2008. She was a member of two of Irwin Mitchell’s in house diversity listening group – IM Equal and IM Able. She had assisted with collating information for the firm’s submission to the Stonewall index and represented the firm at Sheffield Pride.
We asked some of her colleagues to give us their thoughts about working with Kate over the years.
Rebekkah Haughton said “I met Kate when I moved departments at IM, looking for an area of law that I would hopefully enjoy and have a career in. She wasn’t just a colleague, but she was a friend as well. A very good friend. She was my team leader for 3 years and taught me how to draft my very first bill. As well as helping me realise that I wanted a career in costs law, she supported me at my lowest points when my mental health was affected during the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020. She supported me when I was involved in the diversity and inclusion project at IM, but this was no surprise as she was a huge advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and supported many anti-racism causes. When I found out that she was coming to PIC, I was so excited because I knew she would be so happy here and her hard work wouldn’t go unnoticed. I’m so glad we got to be colleagues again, even if it was for a short time. Despite any pain she endured, she always made sure others were okay and whoever she encountered, both inside and outside of work, she would always leave a positive, lasting impression on them, which I think is a perfect legacy to leave behind. All my love and prayers are with her family, friends and loved ones right now.”
Lissa Delf said “I met Kate when I joined IM and she made me welcome from day one. She was not a colleague, she was a friend and a good one. Kate was always there for everyone, whether a chat, a vent or for some levity after a hard day, her sense of humour was second to none. There was nothing she would not do to help others either professionally or personally. When she said she was joining the PIC family everyone who knew her knew she would be such an asset. The world is an emptier place without her and the small world of costs really has lost the shine of a beautiful star. Sending love to all those whose lives she touched and her family on their sad loss.”
Callum Maw said “I can only speak about my experiences of Kate over the years at IM and briefly PIC. I would say you always felt her presence in a room. Her dry sense of humour and approachable nature made a lot of my time in costs easier as she was always there to offer her knowledge and advice as it wasn’t ever too much trouble. I don’t think she had a bad bone in her body and even outside of work-related help. I had an operation at the start of the year, and we had a chat before and after and let me vent about anxieties about it all. I think a lot I admire about Kate was that any of the above was just no trouble or effort for her at all. I would say just an all-round good person and will definitely be missed and I am sending my sympathies to all those who are close to her.”
If you would like to support a charity close to Kate’s heart you can donate via the JustGiving links