Charlotte joined 20 Essex Street in October 2009 upon completion of pupillage.
Since commencing practice Charlotte has been instructed as a junior on a number of High Court actions including:
- Emeraldian Limited Partnership v Wellmix Shipping Company Limited & ors ("the Vine") [2011] 1 Lloyd's Rep. 301, a demurrage/safe berth dispute and associated guarantee claim, which involved a number of conflict of laws issues and the application of Chinese law (led by Michael Coburn QC);
- Parbulk II AS v PT Humpuss Intermoda Transportasi TBK ("Mahakam") [2011] EWHC 3143 (Comm): applying for and obtaining worldwide freezing injunctions against defendants and a domestic freezing injunction against a non-party, raising issues on the extent of the Chabra jurisdiction and piercing the corporate veil (led by Duncan Matthews QC);
- The JSC BTA Bank v Ablyazov litigation, a multi-billion dollar set of claims brought by the National Bank of Kazakhstan against its former owner and chairman (ongoing);
- Obtaining an anti-suit injunction against Chinese Defendants (led by Stephen Philips QC);
- Claims relating to damaged cargo (led by Philip Edey QC);
- Defending a claim for an indemnity for damage arising out of damage to a berth (led by David Goldstone QC).
She has also been instructed in a number of High Court claims on her own.
Charlotte has also been instructed on a number of substantial LMAA arbitrations covering a large number of issues, including:
- challenges to the tribunal's jurisdiction (instructed as sole counsel);
- claims relating to piracy including the trial of preliminary issues and settling s 69 appeal papers (instructed as sole counsel);
- a billion dollar oil pollution case (led by Christopher Hancock QC);
- a safe ports case (led by Simon Rainey QC and Michael Coburn QC);
- sulphur corrosion damage to a vessel (led by David Goldstone QC);
- dangerous goods (led by Charles Kimmins QC);
- cargo damage and detention in an Iraqi port for over a year (led by Stephen Males QC);
- claims involving overperformance and misrepresentation (instructed as sole counsel);
- ship sale dispute, raising issues of frustration and the assessment of damages by reference to market expert evidence (led by Philip Edey QC).
Charlotte was also led by David Owen QC in the Court of Appeal, in Soufflet Negoce v Bunge SA [2011] 1 Lloyd's Rep. 531 on a point of law arising out of the GAFTA standard form. She regularly provides pleadings for GAFTA and FOSFA tribunals on her own.
She also regularly produces pleadings and advices on LMAA claims, both in the ordinary and Small Claims Procedure as well as providing pleadings and advice on commodities and general commercial matters.
In 2009 she spent time at a large London LLP working within the international trade department. In 2010 she was seconded to the shipping department of Rajah & Tann in Singapore.
