Charles King

Charles has been instructed as sole counsel and as part of the counsel team in commercial and contractual disputes both in the High Court and County Court, addressing a wide range of contractual issues. Charles’ experience encompasses claims concerning or arising out of the Covid-19 pandemic, and issues of frustration, estoppel, waiver, and force majeure in that context (for example UK College of Business & Computing Ltd v Bath Spa University).

Charles is regularly instructed in matters concerning issues of fraud or other economic torts, such as deceit/fraudulent misrepresentation, fraudulent breach of fiduciary duty, bribery, conspiracy, dishonest assistance, knowing receipt, and fraudulent transactions by insolvent companies.  Charles has experience both in England and Wales and offshore.   

Charles is regularly instructed in company and partnership disputes.  His experience includes claims for breach of fiduciary duty by company directors and partners, claims for an account from a partner and dissolution of partnerships, derivative claims (including Wallersteiner cost orders), unfair prejudice petitions, and interim injunctions against company directors.    

Charles acts in a variety of contentious insolvency proceedings. His experience includes contested bankruptcy and winding up petitions, issues of liability of liquidators and administrators, and applications for permission to bring proceedings against insolvent companies. Charles was also part of the counsel team for the respondents/claimants in Transworld Payment Solutions UK Ltd (In Liquidation) v First Curacao International Bank NV [2022] EWHC 2742 (Ch), which concerned an application by the defendants challenging the jurisdiction of the English court and/or seeking a stay of proceedings on forum non conveniens grounds.

Charles has worked on matters concerning various offshore jurisdictions, and he is currently instructed as part of the counsel team in a claim in the Cayman Islands involving allegations of fraudulent misrepresentation and conspiracy. 

Charles’ work also frequently involves contentious trusts, and his recent experience includes a claim to set aside an express trust on the grounds of mistake.   

Charles is regularly instructed in banking and financial services litigation.  He has acted in several cases concerning large financial institutions, and also has experience of claims under the FSMA 2000 and the Consumer Credit Act 1974.

Charles has a growing real estate practice. He has acted in disputes involving proprietary estoppel and trusts of land; claims of breach of freehold and leasehold covenants; and claims for possession/forfeiture, including urgent possession proceedings in the High Court against persons unknown. Charles has also advised on issues of land registration.

Charles previously trained and qualified as a Chartered Trade Mark Attorney, before leaving the profession to come to the bar. In his former capacity, he worked on a range of contentious and non-contentious trade mark, copyright, and design matters.

As a barrister, he has appeared as sole counsel in a High Court (IPEC) trade mark infringement and passing off trial, and has also acted in trade mark and copyright proceedings on the IPEC small claims track and before the UK intellectual property office.

Charles has a particular interest in matters in which intellectual property issues intersect with other areas of business and property law, such as insolvency, fraud, and company law. He also has experience of claims concerning breach of contractual and equitable duties of confidence.

Charles’ experience to date has included matters involving claims against solicitors, barristers, and other professionals, and he welcomes instructions in the field.

Charles has gained experience during pupillage and tenancy of charities law, including disputes as to whether entities were to be treated as charities, and concerning charitable property.

A number of Charles’ matters have had an international element. He formed part of the counsel team in Transworld Payment Solutions UK Ltd (In Liquidation) v First Curacao International Bank NV [2022] EWHC 2742 (Ch), which concerned an application under CPR Part 11 to challenge the jurisdiction of the English court and/or seek a stay of proceedings on forum non conveniens grounds.

Charles has also appeared as sole counsel on applications to challenge jurisdiction in both the High Court and County Court, on behalf of both the applicant and the respondent.