Charles is a Partner in the Dispute Resolution Group.

He specialises in commercial, banking and maritime litigation and arbitration.

In the ship finance sector, Charles has acted for a large number of lending banks, bank syndicates and financial institutions in disputes, security enforcements, restructurings and insolvencies. In the maritime and offshore oil and gas sectors, Charles regularly acts for shipowners, charterers, contractors and others in relation to commercial disputes arising from construction contracts, charters and drilling contracts, ship sale and purchase contracts as well as cargo and marine insurance disputes.

In 2016, Charles co-authored the second edition of ‘The Law of Ship Mortgages’, the industry’s most comprehensive book on English law on the topic.

He is recommended for his maritime litigation expertise in Legal 500 UK 2021, where he is described “as having a very deep understanding of enforcement action and related litigation” and “unrivalled knowledge of Admiralty work and procedure”.

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  • Acting successfully for a shipowner in a US$40m arbitration for loss arising out of the repudiation of a long term time charter for a large bulk carrier vessel.
  • Acting for a number of shipowners in cancelling their newbuildings contracts and recovering the refunds following shipyard insolvencies (including Franco Compania Naviera SA, Angelakos Hellas SA, XT Holdings and Navig8).
  • Acting for AM Nomikos in relation to the attachment of a bulk cargo in South Africa over which title was asserted by an African liberation movement.
  • Acting for a European bank in accelerating loan facilities granted to companies in a UAE shipping group, subsequent enforcement of mortgages over two VLCCs and connected English Commercial Court proceedings.
  • Acting successfully for two shipowners in relation to a dispute with a time charterer which involved allegations of illegality and fraudulent misrepresentation.

memberships & associations

  1. Law Society of England & Wales
  2. London Shipping Law Centre (LSLC)
  3. London Solicitors Litigation Association (LSLA)