Charlotte has a broad commercial litigation practice and is frequently instructed in high value/high profile international disputes across the English courts.  She has been ranked for several years by both Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500 as a leading junior in Commercial Dispute Resolution. 

Charlotte’s commercial litigation practice encompasses contractual disputes, civil fraud, banking and finance, insurance and international trade and finance, with notable cases including:

• The NOx diesel emissions group litigation (led by Leigh-Ann Mulcahy KC): acting for three manufacturers in defending group litigation claims being tried alongside claims against the rest of the diesel car industry brought by c.1 million claimants.  
• Acting for Aercap (in a counsel team led by Mark Howard KC, Stephen Midwinter KC and Tony Singla KC): USD3.5bn Commercial Court proceedings bringing aviation insurance claims in respect of aircraft lost in Russia following the invasion of Ukraine.
• Republic of Mozambique v Credit Suisse (in a counsel team led by Joe Smouha KC and Jonathan Adkin KC): acting for the Republic of Mozambique in USD2bn Commercial Court claims arising out of the “tuna bond” scandal, involving allegations of largescale bribery and corruption of Mozambican officials (including the former President of Mozambique) and individuals associated with Credit Suisse ([2023] 1 W.L.R. 2428; [2022] EWHC 429 (Comm); [2022] EWHC 157 (Comm)).
• SKAT (the Danish Customs and Tax Administration) v Solo Capital Partners LLP: acting for a group of defendants in a £1.5bn claim (“one of the largest and most complex pieces of litigation to be heard in the Commercial Court” and one of The Lawyer’s Top 20 Cases of 2021) brought by the Danish tax authority alleging a fraudulent trading scheme involving fraudulent withholding tax applications.  Charlotte was instructed with a leader but also advised (including on freezing and proprietary injunctions obtained in connection with the dispute) and appeared at CMCs on an unled basis.
• The London Steam Ship Owners Mutual Insurance Association Ltd v The Kingdom of Spain (“the M/T PRESTIGE”) (in a counsel team led by Christopher Hancock KC): acting for over ten years across this complicated enforcement dispute arising from insurance claims following one of the largest oil spills in history and Spain and France’s subsequent attempts to recover €1bn in compensation for extensive pollution damage.  The case raises wide-ranging issues in private international law, arbitration and state immunity.  Charlotte has been instructed to appear in numerous arbitrations, arbitration applications and enforcement proceedings throughout the English Courts (High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court) and in a preliminary reference before the Grand Chamber of the Court of Justice of the European Union, following which the CJEU handed down a controversial judgment on the interaction of the Brussels Regulation and arbitration awards.  Reported judgments include: CJEU judgment Case C-700/20 [2023] 1 WLR 1; Court of Appeal judgment on validity of the CJEU reference which was made on the eve of Brexit: [2022] 4 WLR 39 (under appeal to the Supreme Court); Commercial Court Judgment on human rights aspect of enforcement proceedings: [2022] 1 WLR 99 (under appeal); earlier parts of the litigation involving arbitration applications and state immunity issues [2015] 2 Lloyd's Rep. 33 (Court of Appeal) [2014] 1 Lloyd's Rep. 309 (High Court); [2014] 1 Lloyd's Rep 137 (High Court).
• Confidential Chancery Division claim: acting for defendants to a £150m claim in the Chancery Division arising out of the collapse of a mini-bond company causing thousands of individual investors to lose their savings.  The administrators allege that the company was running a Ponzi scheme, with substantial funds being siphoned off for the benefit of various individuals standing behind or involved in the company.  Although initially instructed with a silk, Charlotte ran the case day to day, appeared at all CMCs and dealt with interlocutory matters on an unled basis. 
• Acting for Barclays Plc (led by Helen Davies KC and Tony Singla KC) in defending a group action brought by shareholders under sections 90 and 90A FSMA 2000, alleging fraudulent statements and omissions in Barclays’ prospectus and other published information.
• Deutsche Bank AG v Sebastian Holdings Inc and Alexander Vik (led by Duncan Matthews KC): acting for Mr Vik across the litigation including in relation to committal proceedings against Mr Vik (raising questions as to the jurisdiction of the English courts to commit overseas former officers: [2017] 1 W.L.R. 1842 and [2017] 1 W.L.R. 3056 (Teare J); [2019] 1 W.L.R. 1737 (CA)), non-party costs proceedings arising out of a very substantial non-party costs order made against Mr Vik ([2017] 6 Costs L.R. 1003 (HHJ Waksman)) and an application to the European Court of Human Rights (claiming a violation of Article 6 rights).
• Vincent Tchenguiz v Grant Thornton (in a counsel team led by Christopher Hancock KC): acting in a conspiracy/malicious prosecution claim seeking in excess of USD2bn against Grant Thornton and others for allegedly instigating and manipulating an unjustified major Serious Fraud Office investigation. Charlotte acted for Mr Tchenguiz across the litigation, in particular, in relation to strike out proceedings ([2016] EWHC 3727 (Comm)) and appeal proceedings concerning the application of the EU insolvency regulation ([2018] Q.B. 695 (Court of Appeal)).
• OCBC v Global TradingLinks (led by Ali Malek KC): acting for the defendant in a claim brought by a bank alleging that a beneficiary under letters of credit fraudulently induced the bank into issuing the LCs and presented fraudulent documents to procure payment. 
• Ronelp v STX Offshore and Shipbuilding: a USD100m shipbuilding dispute in the Commercial Court arising out of a failure to construct five hulls following the yard’s collapse, raising issues of illegality and the exclusion of remedies under the standard SAJ Shipbuilding form. Charlotte also appeared in the Companies Court in a successful application to lift a stay of the Commercial Court action imposed under the Cross-Border Insolvency Regulations following the Defendant entering into Korean insolvency proceedings: [2016] EWHC 2228 (Ch).
• Asia Islamic Trade Finance Fund Ltd v Drum Risk Management Ltd: a substantial action in the High Court, concerning claims arising out of the misappropriation of significant quantities of coal from storage facilities in Turkey, held as a finance fund’s collateral for sums advanced under a Sharia compliant Murabaha Financing Agreement. The case raises issues regarding pledge interests, claims under collateral management agreements, bailment, conspiracy and other torts and involved applications for committal for contempt of court by reason of the Defendants’ failure to provide disclosure of assets pursuant to a freezing order ([2015] EWHC 3590 (Comm) and [2015] EWHC 3748 (Comm)).
• The BTA Bank v Ablyazov litigation, a multi-billion dollar set of claims brought by a Kazakh bank against its former owner and chairman. Charlotte acted for Mr Ablyazov, assisting across the litigation including on issues of contempt that were heard in the Court of Appeal. In particular, Charlotte appeared with Duncan Matthews KC in the High Court and the Court of Appeal on the aspect of the case regarding whether and in what circumstances a freezing injunction respondent is entitled to borrow money within the regime of the freezing order ([2014] 1 W.L.R. 1414).
• Acting for insurance brokers in High Court insurance claims involving cargo damage/theft (defending against claims for professional negligence).
• Wealcan Enterprises Inc v Banque Algerienne du Commerce Exterieur SA [2012] EWHC 4151 (Comm): claim under a guarantee provided pursuant to an order for security for costs (acted as sole counsel).
• Emeraldian Limited Partnership v Wellmix Shipping Company Limited (“the Vine”) [2011] 1 Lloyd's Rep. 301: demurrage/safe berth dispute and associated guarantee claim, which involved a number of conflict of laws issues and the application of Chinese law.
• Matters involving freezing injunctions and anti-suit injunctions, including a recent USD100m freezing injunction in support of LCIA arbitration; Parbulk II A/S v PT Humpuss Intermoda Transportasi TBK (The Mahakam) [2012] 2 All E.R. (Comm) 513; and Pan Ocean Co Ltd v China-Base Group Co Ltd (formerly China-Base Ningbo Foreign Trade Co Ltd) [2019] 2 Lloyd's Rep. 335.

Charlotte has a broad arbitration practice, principally acting in commercial disputes involving banking and finance, shipping/commodities and civil fraud.  She is instructed as sole counsel or with a leader and has experience of arbitrations under the ICC, LCIA, LMAA, GAFTA, FOSFA and UNCITRAL Rules and ad hoc arbitrations, as well as substantial experience of arbitration applications and arbitration claims brought under the Arbitration Act 1996 in the English Courts. 

Charlotte is also a member of the ICC UK Arbitration & ADR Committee.

Her notable cases include:

• LCIA Arbitration: acting for claimants bringing claims under loan agreements against a Ukrainian oligarch who is a high-profile banker accused by the Ukrainian authorities of embezzlement and other fraud offences relating to the collapse of his former bank (supported by USD100m freezing injunction).
• The London Steam Ship Owners Mutual Insurance Association Ltd v The Kingdom of Spain (“the M/T PRESTIGE”) (in a counsel team led by Christopher Hancock KC): acting for over ten years across this complicated enforcement dispute arising from insurance claims following one of the largest oil spills in history and Spain and France’s subsequent attempts to recover €1bn in compensation for extensive pollution damage.  The case raises wide-ranging issues in private international law, arbitration and state immunity.  Charlotte has been instructed to appear in numerous arbitrations, arbitration applications and enforcement proceedings throughout the English Courts (High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court) and in a preliminary reference before the Grand Chamber of the Court of Justice of the European Union, following which the CJEU handed down a controversial judgment on the interaction of the Brussels Regulation and arbitration awards.  Reported judgments include: CJEU judgment Case C-700/20 [2023] 1 WLR 1; Court of Appeal judgment on validity of the CJEU reference which was made on the eve of Brexit: [2022] 4 WLR 39 (under appeal to the Supreme Court); Commercial Court Judgment on human rights aspect of enforcement proceedings: [2022] 1 WLR 99 (under appeal); earlier parts of the litigation involving arbitration applications and state immunity issues [2015] 2 Lloyd's Rep. 33 (Court of Appeal) [2014] 1 Lloyd's Rep. 309 (High Court); [2014] 1 Lloyd's Rep 137 (High Court).
• Halliburton v Chubb: acting for the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in an application to intervene in a Supreme Court appeal relating to the removal of an arbitrator for absence of impartiality.
• ICC Arbitration: acting for a bank in a dispute with beneficiaries alleging fraudulent demands under USD55m demand bonds issued in relation to a major construction project in the Middle East.
• Enforcement claim (led by Laurence Rabinowitz KC and Charles Kimmins KC): acting for the defendant in Commercial Court proceedings resisting the enforcement of a USD1.2bn LCIA award.
• NAI (Netherlands Arbitration Institute) Arbitration: acting for a major trading house in relation to a c.USD110 million dispute with its joint venture partner (involving allegations of fraudulent misrepresentation/material non-disclosure prior to the formation of the JV and selling goods to related companies at an undervalue (in breach of tax legislation and international standards governing transfer pricing)).
• LMAA arbitration: acted as sole counsel in a 5-day arbitration relating to significant engine damage caused by contaminated bunkers.
• LMAA arbitration: acted as sole counsel in a 3-day arbitration relating to claims for demurrage and further damages.
• Numerous LMAA/LCIA Arbitrations: instructed with and without a leader in many LMAA/LCIA arbitrations involving a wide range of shipping and commodities issues including shipbuilding, ship sales, piracy, dangerous goods, safe ports, sulphur corrosion damage to a vessel, fire damage, seaworthiness and SIRE inspections, zinc smelting/quality disputes and ethanol sale disputes.
• Numerous applications under ss. 66, 67 and 69 Arbitration Act 1996, including:
  • The Yangtze Xing Hua [2017] 1 Lloyd’s Rep. 212 (Teare J); [2017] EWCA Civ 2107 (Court of Appeal): s.69 appeal on standard form charterparty terms on apportionment of liability for cargo claims.
  • Griffon Shipping LLC v Firodi Limited [2013] 2 All E.R. (Comm) 246 (Teare J); [2014] 1 Lloyd’s Rep. 471 (Court of Appeal): s.69 appeal on standard ship sale form; Charlotte was instructed as sole counsel at first instance.
  • PEC Limited v Asia Golden Rice Co Ltd [2014] EWHC 1583 (Comm) (Andrew Smith J): s.67 challenge to a GAFTA award, raising issues of agency and contract formation; [2013] 1 Lloyds Rep. 82 (clarification of operation of the appeal time limits under the GAFTA 125 Arbitration Rules.
  • Taokas Navigation SA v Komrowski Bulk Shipping KG (GmbH & Co) & Ors (The Paiwan Wisdom) [2012] 2 Lloyd’s Rep. 416: claims related to piracy; instructed as sole counsel in s.69 appeal on construction of standard form piracy clause.
  • Soufflet Negoce v Bunge SA [2011] 1 Lloyd’s Rep. 531 (Court of Appeal): s.69 appeal on construction of standard GAFTA form.

Charlotte is regularly instructed in civil fraud matters in both commercial litigation and arbitration.  She is recommended as a leading junior for Civil Fraud in Chambers & Partners and has significant experience of matters involving deceit, conspiracy, bribery and corruption as well as freezing injunctions.  Her notable cases include:

• Republic of Mozambique v Credit Suisse (in a counsel team led by Joe Smouha KC and Jonathan Adkin KC): acting for the Republic of Mozambique in USD2bn Commercial Court claims arising out of the “tuna bond” scandal, involving allegations of largescale bribery and corruption of Mozambican officials (including the former President of Mozambique) and individuals associated with Credit Suisse ([2023] 1 W.L.R. 2428; [2022] EWHC 429 (Comm); [2022] EWHC 157 (Comm)).
• SKAT (the Danish Customs and Tax Administration) v Solo Capital Partners LLP: acting for a group of defendants in a £1.5bn claim (“one of the largest and most complex pieces of litigation to be heard in the Commercial Court” and one of The Lawyer’s Top 20 Cases of 2021) brought by the Danish tax authority alleging a fraudulent trading scheme involving fraudulent withholding tax applications.  Charlotte was instructed with a leader but also advised (including on freezing and proprietary injunctions obtained in connection with the dispute) and appeared at CMCs on an unled basis.
• Confidential Chancery Division claim: acting for defendants to a £150m claim in the Chancery Division arising out of the collapse of a mini-bond company causing thousands of individual investors to lose their savings.  The administrators allege that the company was running a Ponzi scheme, with substantial funds being siphoned off for the benefit of various individuals standing behind or involved in the company.  Although initially instructed with a silk, Charlotte ran the case day to day, appeared at all CMCs and dealt with interlocutory matters on an unled basis. 
• Vincent Tchenguiz v Grant Thornton (in a counsel team led by Christopher Hancock KC): acting in a conspiracy/malicious prosecution claim seeking in excess of USD2bn against Grant Thornton and others for allegedly instigating and manipulating an unjustified major Serious Fraud Office investigation. Charlotte acted for Mr Tchenguiz across the litigation, in particular, in relation to strike out proceedings ([2016] EWHC 3727 (Comm)) and appeal proceedings concerning the application of the EU insolvency regulation ([2018] Q.B. 695 (Court of Appeal)).
• OCBC v Global TradingLinks (led by Ali Malek KC): acting for the defendant in a claim brought by a bank alleging that a beneficiary under letters of credit fraudulently induced the bank into issuing the LCs and presented fraudulent documents to procure payment. 
• Asia Islamic Trade Finance Fund Ltd v Drum Risk Management Ltd: a substantial action in the High Court, concerning claims arising out of the misappropriation of significant quantities of coal from storage facilities in Turkey, held as a finance fund’s collateral for sums advanced under a Sharia compliant Murabaha Financing Agreement. The case raises issues regarding pledge interests, claims under collateral management agreements, bailment, conspiracy and other torts and involved applications for committal for contempt of court by reason of the Defendants’ failure to provide disclosure of assets pursuant to a freezing order ([2015] EWHC 3590 (Comm) and [2015] EWHC 3748 (Comm)).
• The BTA Bank v Ablyazov litigation, a multi-billion dollar set of claims brought by a Kazakh bank against its former owner and chairman. Charlotte acted for Mr Ablyazov, assisting across the litigation including on issues of contempt that were heard in the Court of Appeal. In particular, Charlotte appeared with Duncan Matthews KC in the High Court and the Court of Appeal on the aspect of the case regarding whether and in what circumstances a freezing injunction respondent is entitled to borrow money within the regime of the freezing order ([2014] 1 W.L.R. 1414).
• ICC Arbitration: acting for a bank in a dispute with beneficiaries alleging fraudulent demands under USD55m demand bonds issued in relation to a major construction project in the Middle East.
• NAI (Netherlands Arbitration Institute) Arbitration: acting for a major trading house in relation to a c.USD110 million dispute with its joint venture partner (involving allegations of fraudulent misrepresentation/material non-disclosure prior to the formation of the JV and selling goods to related companies at an undervalue (in breach of tax legislation and international standards governing transfer pricing)).
• Applications for freezing injunctions, including a recent USD100m freezing injunction in support of ongoing LCIA arbitration and Parbulk II A/S v PT Humpuss Intermoda Transportasi TBK (The Mahakam) [2012] 2 All E.R. (Comm) 513.

• 125^th anniversary Commercial Court Seminar: “What next for witness statements?” (on a panel with Mr Justice Baker and others; chaired by Lord Justice Flaux)
• Brick Court Annual Commercial Conference (2020): “A battle of contractual construction”; legal introduction to debate between Lord Hoffmann and Lord Hope (chaired by Nicholas Saunders KC)
• Commercial Arbitration against State Entities: COMBAR lecture (with Dame Elizabeth Gloster DBE, Alex Gunning KC and Christopher Harris KC)
• Fraud overseas: committal and receivership orders out of the jurisdiction Section 68 challenges: risks and returns (with Thomas Raphael KC)
• Opportunities and limitations in obtaining interim relief against third parties in commercial fraud litigation (with Charles Kimmins KC)
• Current thinking on piercing the corporate veil and obtaining relief against non-parties (with Duncan Matthews KC)

University of Cambridge, St John’s College, MA in Law (Double First)

Major awards / prizes / scholarships

• Queen Mother Scholarship from Middle Temple
• Munsteven Scholarship (2006 and 2007) St John’s College, Cambridge
• The Abdullah Yusuf Ali Prize (2006) St John’s College, Cambridge
• The A.J. Iacovides Prize for International Law (2006) St John’s College, Cambridge
• The Phineas Quass Prize (2006), St John’s College, Cambridge
• The Hughes Prize (2007) St John’s College, Cambridge
• The Winfield Prize (2007) St John’s College, Cambridge

Professional memberships:

• COMBAR Executive Committee (2018 – 2021)
• ICC UK Arbitration & ADR Committee
• Commercial Fraud Lawyers’ Association
• Young Fraud Lawyers’ Association

• Sharp-witted, very easy to deal with, approachable, likeable and responsive." (Chambers & Partners 2025)
• "Charlotte is great to work with." (Chambers & Partners 2025)
• "Charlotte is thoughtful and diligent, a proactive senior junior who shares and works through her own opinions with us." (Chambers & Partners 2025)
• "Charlotte is very hands-on, commercial and very technical." (Chambers & Partners 2025)
• "She has a great client manner and is a thorough advocate." (Chambers & Partners 2025)
• "Charlotte is massively intelligent and very tenacious." (Legal 500 2025)
• "Charlotte is exceptionally clever, brilliant at drafting and has a fantastic memory for details." (Chambers & Partners 2024) 
• "She is approachable, detailed and practical." (Chambers & Partners 2024) 
• "Charlotte is very good, very effective and very bright." (Chambers & Partners 2024) 
• "Charlotte is tenacious but fiercely rational. She is a true star of the future." (Legal 500 2024)
• "Brilliant technician and very hardworking. Charlotte has a huge intellect and can quickly get on top of the most complex issues. A great person to have on the team in the demanding moments leading up to major deadlines." (Legal 500 2024)
• "Charlotte is very committed – not even the smallest detail escapes her." (Legal 500 2024)
• "Charlotte's written advocacy is very good. She is very user-friendly and works well as part of a wider team." (Chambers & Partners 2023)
• "Charlotte is a very good, diligent junior."(Chambers & Partners 2023) 
• "Charlotte has a nice manner and gets on well with the clients." "Charlotte is very client-focused and her advocacy is very succinct." "She grasps issues with light speed and thinks outside the box." (Chambers & Partners 2023)
• "Charlotte has a sharp intellect, is very client-centred, and prepared to put in a huge amount of work on a case." (Legal 500 2023)
• "Charlotte is excellent at getting on top of the detail in a very short space of time and is great with clients in breaking down complex legal concepts so that clients understand." (Legal 500 2023)
• "She has one of the brightest legal minds, is very analytical and exceptionally user-friendly. She takes the time to get to know the client and has a mind for commercial fraud." "She has an exceptional grasp of the law." (Chambers & Partners 2022)
• "Charlotte is very thorough, hard-working and very bright." "She is very thoughtful and covers all the angles." (Chambers & Partners 2022)
• "Very able junior who punches above her weight." (Chambers & Partners 2022)
• "Very thorough and user friendly, with great attention to detail." (Legal 500 2022)
• "She can make seemingly unarguable points the winning points." (Chambers & Partners 2021)
• "She is popular with clients and takes a commercial approach." "She is very effective, timely in her advice and a very good advocate. She is very sharp and tactical." (Chambers & Partners 2021)
• Fiercely bright, which is apparent from dealing with her, and in seeing the weight which her leaders put on her input - she works really hard, and goes the extra mile, which is really appreciated. (Legal 500 2021)
• Her written work is always first class. (Legal 500 2021)
• She has an encyclopaedic knowledge of contempt of court issues, and is charming to work with (Chambers & Partners 2020)
• Very client-friendly, hard-working and intelligent, as well as someone who is not afraid to question a leader (Chambers & Partners 2020)
• She is very nice to deal with – good and thorough (Chambers & Partners 2020)
• Incredibly hardworking and she is clearly exceptionally clever (Legal 500 2020)
• Very bright with great attention-to-detail (Legal 500 2020)
• A hard-working commercial junior who produces very good documents (Chambers & Partners
• 2019)
• Popular, clever and personable (Chambers & Partners 2019)
• She is very thorough (Legal 500 2019)
• She is outstanding. She's user-friendly and she works as part of a team (Chambers & Partners 2018)
• She's very thorough and hard-working, and she understands the business issues, not just the legal aspects of the case (Chambers & Partners 2018)
• A highly regarded junior who is trusted by top silks to handle big-ticket matters. She has experience of acting in huge fraud, insurance and shipping cases, and is viewed as someone who punches well above her level of call (Chambers & Partners 2017)
• She produces high-quality paperwork that is seriously well reasoned and beautifully put together... She is the best junior that I have worked with due to the quality of her advice, her commercial approach and her responsiveness (Chambers & Partners 2017)
• An 'extremely bright and charming' junior... She is a really effective and hard-working junior. 'Getting involved' is an understatement, I felt she had become part of our team (Chambers & Partners 2017)
• I have seen her at a hearing outmatch an opposing QC with ease and elegance. She is proactive and often comes up with smart ideas for arguing a case which are not immediately obvious but which stand up on analysis (Chambers & Partners 2017)
• Excellent (Legal 500 2017)
• An up-and-coming commercial junior with a growing reputation among instructing solicitors (Chambers & Partners 2016)
• A rising star of the commercial Bar…She is very user-friendly, hard-working and has a nice touch. (Chambers & Partners 2016)
• Recommended "given the strength of her flourishing commercial practice"; "she is phenomenally intelligent and hard-working and has a maturity and knowledge beyond her call" (Chambers & Partners 2015)