Charlotte completed pupillage in October 2023. In January 2026 she was named in The Hot 100 by The Lawyer.
Charlotte is a sought-after Junior. Her broad academic background enables an agile response to complex legal issues, especially those cutting across multiple areas of law. She practices predominantly in contempt, pensions, discrimination, commercial litigation and professional discipline, and is often instructed in high-profile cases, or those in the media spotlight where her strategic approach, composed manner and careful judgment are especially valued.
Recent highlights include: Buzzard-Quashie v Constable of Northamptonshire Police [2025] EWCA Civ 1372 and EWCA Civ 502; Munícipio de Mariana & Ors v BHP Group (UK) Ltd [2025] 1 WLR 5297; and Peggie v Fife Health Board & Beth Upton.
Charlotte is credited as a robust and precise advocate, with a bedside manner which belies her relatively few years call.
Before coming to the Bar, Charlotte was the Singer Fellow in Law and Ethics at Exeter College, University of Oxford, where she taught across a range of subjects, including Trusts, Jurisprudence, Medical Law and Criminal Law. Her research focused on the regulation of emerging technologies. She has published on issues ranging from cryptocurrencies, to gene editing and the regulation of human embryo research. During her academic career, Charlotte was involved in policy making at a national level, providing evidence to the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee, and at an international level at the Council of Europe.
Charlotte continues to publish in her practice areas. Recent examples include: Uneasy bedfellows? The interplay between the Proceeds of Crime Act and the Insolvency Act: Wang Wu v Tianjin Lantian Gerui Electronic Technology Co Limited Corporate Insolvency & Restructuring [December 2024]; Releasing surplus in winding up (Arcadia Group Pension Trust Ltd v Smith) LexisNexis+ [February 2025]; “For Woman Scotland v Scottish Ministers” ELA Briefing [May 2025].
Charlotte read for her DPhil at Balliol College, Oxford, her Master’s at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, and her undergraduate degree at the University of Birmingham where she graduated first in her year. She is member of the Bar Council Ethics Committee.
Charlotte’s background in Trusts law equips her well in the field of pensions. Although of relatively recent call she has built a strong pensions practice with a developing reputation in the industry. She spoke at the APL Disputes Forum in March 2025, has delivered training to various Trustee organizations and The Pensions Regulator, and contributes to Lexis Nexis articles on pensions law.
Her expertise spans the range of issues affecting pensions schemes including advising both trustees and members in disputes before the Pension’s Ombudsman, acting both for targets and the Pension’s Regulator in moral hazard-cases, advising trustees as to the scope and exercise of their powers (in particular, amendment powers and the formal validity of amending instruments) and the interpretation of Scheme Deeds & Rules.
Arcadia Group Pension Trust Ltd v Smith [2025] Pens LR 7
Court approval of a trustee’s decision to amend a scheme in surplus, during its winding up, and merge another scheme in deficit into it (led by Nicolas Stallworthy KC).
Pelgrave v The Pension’s Regulator [2025] Pens LR 14
Aced for the Defendant in proceedings before the Upper Tribunal following the referral of a decision of the Determination Panel of The Pension’s Regulator in a contribution notice case (led by Michael Uberoi). Important Upper Tribunal decision involving the true scope of the Regulator’s statutory power to impose Contribution Notices under s.38 Pensions Act 2004 (“party test”, the meaning of material detriment to a scheme, the “series” test).
The Pensions Regulator (various)
Charlotte is instructed by The Pension’s Regulator in ongoing cases involving the exercise of their moral hazard powers (financial support directions and contribution notices).
Charlotte acts in some off the most complex and contested contempt litigation. Her industry influence in the contempt jurisdiction was recognized in The Lawyer’s Hot100 2026. She acts for both Claimants and Defendants across the range of Contempt Proceedings, from cases involving breach of court orders, to false statement contempts and criminal contempts for interference with the due administration of justice. Having taught Criminal Law at Oxford University her academic background equips her well for the quasi-criminal nature of Contempt Proceedings, and she has amassed a wealth of knowledge regarding both the procedural and substantive aspects of the CPR 81 jurisdiction. She has been instructed in Contempt Proceedings in the County Court, the High Court and, on five separate occasions, the Court of Appeal.
Buzzard-Quashie v The Chief Constable of Northamptonshire Police [2025] EWCA Civ 1327
Leading authority on contempt liability for Chief Constables (led by James Leonard KC). Charlotte acted for the Claimant who succeeded on appeal having the Chief Constable of Northamptonshire Police held in contempt of court and fined £50,000 for failing to comply with an order requiring the disclosure of body-warn video footage. Rather unusually, the Court of Appeal explicitly recognized Charlotte’s work in achieving that outcome at [101] in the judgment.
Munícipio de Mariana & Ors v BHP Group (UK) Limited [2025] 1 WLR 5297
Currently pending appeal (listed in the Top 10 Appeals of 2026 by the Lawyer).
Charlotte (led by Fiona Horlick KC) acts for the Municipality Claimants in the Mariana Dam litigation, bringing a contempt application against BHP mining corporation for alleged interference with the due the administration of justice, arising from BHP’s procurement and funding of a claim before the Brazilian constitutional court. Charlotte and Fiona have successfully resisted BHP’s application for strike out ([2025] EWHC 1601 (TCC)) and, separately, obtained injunctive and declaratory relief against a third party involved in the conduct underlying the alleged contempt.
Commercial Bank of Dubai PSC v Al Sari [2024] EWCA Civ 643
Charlotte acted for the First Defendant in the Court of Appeal (led by James Leonard KC). The Court accepted the Defendant’s arguments as to the proper procedure as regards applications for alternative service in Contempt Proceedings, holding that even where orders for alternate service have been made in the main proceedings, heightened procedural fairness in the contempt jurisdiction requires a fresh application for alternate service to properly effect the service of a contempt application by alternate means.
Charlotte regularly appears in preliminary and substantive hearings across the range of employment litigation for both claimants and respondents. She has already appeared unled in the EAT on multiple occasions. Charlotte helps clients formulate a robust and strategic approach across the lifetime of a claim.
Charlotte has developed particular expertise in dealing with complex and sensitive interlocutory applications, including applications for anonymity orders, reporting restrictions orders and applications for specific disclosure and expert evidence.
Charlotte is developing expertise in claims relating to sex and gender. She is presently instructed in Peggie v NHS Fife & Dr Beth Upton (led by Naomi Cunningham).
Charlotte brings her considerable criminal law expertise, developed as a criminal law lecturer at the University of Oxford, to her business crime practice. Charlotte is a contributing author for Horlick and Lissack on Bribery and Corruption. She has been instructed on matters relating to the Glencore Corruption Scandal and her instructions in contempt proceedings often involve complex allegations of fraud.
Charlotte accepts instructions from executive agencies and public bodies across a range of regulatory matters. She has secured convictions at trial for the DVSA, an Inshore Fisheries & Conservation Authority and Thames Water, as well as advising pre-trial in other matters. Charlotte has experience of SRA matters, having acted for the SRA in multi-day hearings. Charlotte also acts for and against the Pensions Regulator.
Charlotte has a growing practice in sanctions, assisting on challenges to designation decisions made under the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018. Early in practice, Charlotte was seconded to a firm where she undertook work in relation to the Russian Aircraft Insurance Litigation. More recently, she has advised on discrete issues arising from those claims.
To find out more, contact Lexie Johnson on + 44 (0) 207 427 0801 or Dave Lovitt on +44 (0)20 7353 6381 for a confidential discussion.
