St John's Chambers

Real Estate, Commercial, Costs

Call: 2017

Charles practises in the areas of real estate and commercial law. He is regularly instructed across these disciplines in complex and high-value litigation. He has assisted both corporate and individual clients at all stages including: initial and ongoing advice, drafting pleadings, alternative dispute resolution, interim and final hearings.

In his property practice, Charles advises and represents clients in residential, agricultural and commercial settings. In particular, in real property matters, Charles’ professional clients appreciate the combination of technical advice with a practical appreciation as to the ancillary pressures associated with long-running property litigation. In this respect, Charles has specific expertise in evaluating and addressing complexities arising from the costs of long-running real estate litigation both during the currency of proceedings and following their conclusion.

Charles’ commercial clients have included sole traders, small to medium-sized enterprises, statutory bodies, national and multinational organisations. He has been instructed to represent and advise clients across a spectrum of commercial matters including contractual disputes (including those concerning business-to-business, consumer and public bodies), statutory causes of action and proceedings concerning national non-domestic rates.

Charles takes a keen interest in the costs of civil litigation and brings this consideration to his real estate and commercial practice in helping clients achieve commercially-sensible outcomes. He has additionally been instructed specifically to represent clients in costs-only proceedings and to advise on the discrete question of costs. He has had a book published on the topic of non-party costs orders, has been featured in the Law Society’s Litigation Funding Magazine and has delivered in-house training to solicitor clients on developments in costs law and civil procedure.

Lecturer in Law, University of Exeter

Qualifications & awards: LLB (Hons) – First Class Honours – University of Exeter LLM – Distinction (Top of year) – University of Exeter BPTC – Very Competent – BPP Law School Scholarships Dean’s Commendation 2014 – University of Exeter Dean’s Commendation 2015 – University of Exeter LLM Excellence Scholarship – University of Exeter Duke Scholarship – Duke University Corporate Education Hardwicke Scholarship – Lincoln’s Inn Lord Denning Scholarship – Lincoln’s Inn Megarry Scholarship – Lincoln’s Inn