
Dr Katie McCay
BA, MA (Cantab), LLM, PhD, FHEA
Current positions
Lecturer in Law
University of Bristol Law School
Contact
Press and media
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Research interests
My research considers what private law remedies are available for interference with intangibles. Digitalisation has changed ownership and control of personal assets, something which English law has struggled to properly address. Problems arise because English law relies extensively on possession as a proxy for ownership and intangibles cannot be possessed under English law. There are also questions about whether certain types of digital assets are property in the first place.
My research considers the extent to which intangibles can be accommodated by existing private law remedies. It asks if the focus of remedies on property and possession is practically and theoretically defensible. This is because some types of commercially valuable intangible assets fall outside the scope of one or both of those criteria. It considers what changes, if any, would be desirable if current remedies do not adequately protect intangibles.
In addition to my research, I teach a wide range of Private Law subjects at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, including the Law of Contract, Commercial Law and Advanced Obligations.
Publications
Recent publications
01/09/2026Third things and first principles: digital assets and their categorisation within personal property law
Sustainability, Innovation and Vulnerability in Commercial Law
Digital assets, personal property and categorisation: the Property (Digital Assets etc) Act 2025
Legal Studies
Wrongful interference with electronic trade documents
Lloyd's Maritime and Commercial Law Quarterly
Property and Remedies in the Case of Interference with Cryptoassets: A View from England and Wales
Property Law Perspectives VIII
What private law remedies exist for the interference with cryptocurrencies?: Young Property Lawyers' Forum
Thesis
Common Law Claims for Wrongful Interference with Intangible Assets
Supervisors
Award date
30/09/2025