Charlie has over 30 years' experience advising on disputes and commercial matters for his clients in the shipping and commodities trading industry, and previously worked in the firm's Athens and Abu Dhabi offices. His clients include owners, charterers, traders, mines, shipbuilders, P&I Clubs, underwriters, banks, and private equity lenders, covering charterparty and cargo disputes, international sale of goods, ship sale and purchase, ship and yacht construction, war and piracy, casualties, sanctions, ship finance, workouts and shareholder issues, ship management and pools, and other shipping and trading disputes. As well as Commercial Court, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court and Privy Council experience, Charlie handles arbitrations under LMAA, LCIA, ICC, SIAC, SCMA, and CAMP rules, and is regularly instructed in relation to worldwide freezing orders, anti-suit injunctions, corporate veil piercing and fraud, asset tracing, and other emergency injunctive relief.
Experience
Representative matters
Representative matters
SLB v PAK [2026] EWHC 449 (Comm) (Commercial Court) – (Shipbuilding - appeals against arbitral awards; court held that a requirement in several shipbuilding contracts to provide a refund guarantee within 120 days was an innominate term and not a condition, such that time was not of the essence)
King Crude Carriers SA v Ridgebury November LLC – [2025] 2 Lloyd’s Rep 90 – The “Makronissos” and Others (Supreme Court) – (Sale & Purchase - acting for successful Buyers, following Sellers’ termination of series of MoAs on NSF 2012; Sellers claiming in debt for deposits rather than damages; conditions precedent to accrual of debt and legal fiction of deemed fulfilment of condition; principle that a person should not derive a benefit from their own breach; Mackay v Dick principle found not to be English law)
V v K [2025] 2 Lloyd’s Rep 90 – (Sale & Purchase - acting for successful Sellers in dispute under NSF 2012; MoA terminated for sanctions breaches; Buyers alleging serious irregularity and apparent bias by LMAA tribunal in proceedings under s 68 of the Arbitration Act; alleged relationship between arbitrators and Sellers’ solicitors; LMAA Advice on Ethics)
Experience
SLB v PAK [2026] EWHC 449 (Comm) (Commercial Court) – (Shipbuilding - appeals against arbitral awards; court held that a requirement in several shipbuilding contracts to provide a refund guarantee within 120 days was an innominate term and not a condition, such that time was not of the essence)
King Crude Carriers SA v Ridgebury November LLC – [2025] 2 Lloyd’s Rep 90 – The “Makronissos” and Others (Supreme Court) – (Sale & Purchase - acting for successful Buyers, following Sellers’ termination of series of MoAs on NSF 2012; Sellers claiming in debt for deposits rather than damages; conditions precedent to accrual of debt and legal fiction of deemed fulfilment of condition; principle that a person should not derive a benefit from their own breach; Mackay v Dick principle found not to be English law)
V v K [2025] 2 Lloyd’s Rep 90 – (Sale & Purchase - acting for successful Sellers in dispute under NSF 2012; MoA terminated for sanctions breaches; Buyers alleging serious irregularity and apparent bias by LMAA tribunal in proceedings under s 68 of the Arbitration Act; alleged relationship between arbitrators and Sellers’ solicitors; LMAA Advice on Ethics)
UBS Switzerland AG v Anil Kumar [2024] EWHC 1058 (Ch) (Chancery Court) – (Fraud - acting for successful bank against former sole director of Vincom Commodities, following its liquidation, proving fraudulent payments and breach of director’s duties; Worldwide Freezing Orders in England and Dubai International Financial Centre)
Piraeus Bank AE v Antares Underwriting Ltd [2022] 2 Lloyd’s Rep 1 (Commercial Court) – The “Zouzou” (Marine Insurance - claim on MII cover for ship detained under Venezuelan anti-smuggling laws; whether seizure gave rise to a CTL under the owners’ war risks policy)
SK Shipping Europe Plc v Capital VLCC 3 Corp [2022] EWCA Civ 231 (Court of Appeal) – The C Challenger (fraudulent misrepresentation of bunker consumption alleged under a long-term charterparty; affirmation)
CVLC Three Carrier Corporation v Arab Maritime Petroleum Transport Co. [2021] 2 Lloyd’s Rep 397 (Commerial Court) - The “Anbar” and The “Hillah” (Charterparty - third party guaranteeing charterer's obligations under charter in consideration of owners entering into charterparty; owners arresting vessel owned by guarantor as security for claims under guarantee in London arbitration; whether implied term of guarantee that owners would not seek security in addition to that provided by guarantee)
Trans-Tec International SRL And another v Owners and/or Demise Charterers of the Vessel “COLUMBUS” [2020] EWHC 3443 (Admlty) – (claims for supplies of bunker oil – successful in rem claim for contractual interest)
TMF Trustee Ltd & Ors v Fire Navigation Inc & Ors [2019] EWHC 2918 (Comm)(01 November 2019) – The “Megacore Honami” - (Alleged repudiation of a ship finance loan agreement - Prevention Principle and interplay with No Set-Off Clause in loan agreement).
Aprile SPA & Ors v Elin Maritime Ltd [2019] EWHC 1001 (Comm) (18 April 2019) - The “Elin” – (application of deck cargo exceptions clause – successfully excluding liability for lost / damaged cargo carried on deck)
The Royal Bank of Scotland Plc v Stallion Eight Shipping Co SA - The “Alkyon” (Court of Appeal) [2018] EWCA Civ 2760 – (Admiralty practice – landmark decision on wrongful arrest damages and arrest counter-security – arrest of vessel by mortgagee)
Eminent Energy Ltd v Krässik Oü & Ors [2016] EWHC 2585 (Comm) (20 October 2016) – (Oil trading fraud – proving inability to pay and entitlement to security for costs against an impecunious defendant)
Crescendo Maritime Co and Alpha Bank AE v Bank of Communications Co Ltd [2016] 1 Lloyd's Rep. 414 - (Anti-suit injunction – Shipbuilding contract – Buyer and its bank bringing London arbitration against Chinese bank to enforce awards under refund guarantees – injunction to restrain guarantor bank from pursuing fraud proceedings in China)
Glory Wealth Shipping Pte Ltd V Flame SA [2016] 1 Lloyd's Law Rep. 571 – (Appeal from arbitration award – damages assessment arising out of long term CoA where Claimant wrongfully trying to divert funds to non-related companies)
Zim Integrated Shipping Services v European Container KS [2013] EWHC 3581 (Comm) – (Urgent application to make injunction for interim relief for preserving assets in aid of arbitration)
Wuhu Guoyu Logistics Group v Emporiki Bank SA [2013] 1 Lloyd’s Rep. 161 (Court of Appeal) (shipbuilding/on demand guarantees)
The “Griffon” [2013] (Court of Appeal) EWCA Civ 1567 (sale and purchase/claim for unpaid deposit)
Wuhu Guoyu Logistics Group v Emporiki Bank SA (No. 2) – Court of Appeal [2013] EWCA Civ 1679 (shipbuilding/payment under guarantee giving rise to alleged trust)
The “Griffon” [2013] EWHC 593 (Comm) (sale and purchase/claim for unpaid deposit)
VTC v PVS [2012] 2 Lloyd's Rep. 527 (Commercial Court) – (Shelltime 4 claim for breach of tank readiness warranty)
The “Pro Victor” [2010] 2 Lloyd’s Rep. 158 (voyage charter/anticipatory breach)
The “Easy Rider” [2004] 2 Lloyd’s Rep. 626 (sale and purchase/Arbitration Act 1996)
The “Dynamic” [2003] 2 Lloyd’s Rep. 693 (off-hire/arrest clause)
Koch Petroleum Group LP v Total International Ltd, [2001] (Unrep.) (Comm) (international sale of gas oil/NoR under supply contract)
The "Solon" [2000] 1 Lloyd’s Rep. 292 (strike/exceptions to laytime under the Sugar ’69 form)
The "Baltic Universal" [1999] 1 Lloyd’s Rep. 497 (time bar/Arbitration Act 1996)
The "Timawra" [1996] 2 Lloyd’s Rep. 166 (drydocking/damages)
OT Africa Line v. Vickers Plc [1996] 1 Lloyd’s Rep. 700 (compromise)
The "Xing Su Hai" [1995] 2 Lloyd’s Rep. 15 (Mareva injunction/Brussels Convention)
Recognitions
- Ranked in Chambers Global for Global Market Leaders Shipping: Litigation, 2017-2025
- Ranked in Chambers UK for UK-wide Shipping, 2011-2026
- Included in The Legal 500 UK 2026 Hall of Fame for Shipping
Credentials
Professional admissions & qualifications
Professional admissions & qualifications
- England and Wales
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