Charlotte Beynon

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Charlotte Beynon has a commercial chancery practice encompassing contentious trusts, civil fraud, insolvency and commercial litigation.

According to her clients “Charlotte is brilliant. A superstar in the making” and she is also commended for being “pragmatic, responsive and commercial.”

She frequently deals with complex, high-value cases, both onshore and offshore, often with international elements. She is particularly experienced in acting in high-value offshore trusts disputes and complex fraud claims – often raising issues of private international law.

Charlotte regularly appears in the High Court and County Court both led and as sole counsel. She also appears as specialist chancery counsel in matrimonial proceedings in the Family Division. Her legal writing has been published in Trusts & Trustees.

Areas of Expertise

Civil Fraud

Recent Cases

Public Institution for Social Security v Banque Pictet & Cie SA [2022] EWCA Civ 29; Public Institution for Social Security v Al Rajaan & Ors [2020] EWHC 2979 (Comm) – Led by Jonathan Adkin KC, successfully challenged the English court’s jurisdiction in one of the largest fraud disputes ever heard in the Commercial Court (one of The Lawyer’s Top 20 cases in 2020). Successfully resisted the Claimant’s appeal on jurisdiction in a three-day appeal which decided novel points on establishing jurisdiction under Art.6 Lugano Convention where there are (i) overlapping claims against the same defendant, some of which must be considered in that defendant’s state of domicile under a jurisdiction clause, and (ii) connected claims against another defendant.
King v Stiefel [2021] EWHC 1045 (Comm); The Times, 4 June 2021 – Acted, led by Daniel Lightman KC, for five of the defendants to a £58 million claim in unlawful means conspiracy brought by the defendants to previous (discontinued) litigation against the same claimants, their solicitors and silk. Succeeded in striking out and obtaining summary judgment in a rare example of a court striking out a fraud claim. The case raised a number of significant legal and procedural issues.
Accident Exchange v McLean & Ors – Acted, with Hugh Norbury KC and Dan McCourt Fritz KC, for Keoghs, one of three firms of solicitors joined to Accident Exchange’s £130m conspiracy claim said to arise out of Autofocus’ “perjury on an industrial scale”. Following successful applications by Keoghs and the other firms for security for costs, the claim settled shortly before trial.
Tatneft PJSC v Bogolyubov & Ors – Acted in this very substantial Commercial Court dispute involving claims under Article 1064 of the Russian Civil Code.

Trusts

Recent Cases

Grand View Private Trust Company & Another v Wong & Others (Bermuda) No 1 and No 2 – Acted, led by Richard Wilson KC and with James Weale KC, for the Second Appellant on the appeal to the Privy Council concerning assets worth around $500 million and raising issues of legal principle arising out of a trustee’s decision to add to the class of beneficiaries of a family discretionary trust a Bermuda purpose trust from which the pre-existing beneficiaries could never benefit and to appoint the entirety of the trust assets to the purpose trust.
Wong v Grand View Private Trust Company Ltd & Ors – Acted, led by Richard Wilson KC, Jonathan Harris KC and James Weale KC, for the Eighth Defendant in proceedings concerning claims to recover assets worth at least $20bn currently held in Bermudian purpose trusts. The case is thought to be one of the largest ever trust disputes in the common law world. The trial was heard over six months in 2021. The Bermuda Court of Appeal and Supreme Court handed down judgments on issues including: joint interest privilege ([2021] CA (Bda) 3 Civ, 12 April 2021); hearsay evidence ([2021] SC (Bda) 46 Com, 9 June 2021); open justice ([2021] SC (Bda) 32 Com, 16 April 2021); and the iniquity exception ([2021] CA (Bda) 6 Civ, 11 June 2021).
Acting in overlapping trusts and matrimonial proceedings (subject to reporting restrictions) in which the wife seeks orders to vary a Jersey discretionary trust which holds a multi-million pound chemicals business with trading operations in the US, South Africa and Europe.
Instructed in highly contentious, confidential proceedings concerning a family trust for one of the world’s wealthiest families.
Instructed in a case concerning claims brought against the former trustee of a trust holding the valuable IP and international trading business of a successful Italian fashion brand. The former trustee was alleged to have been grossly negligent in breaching an alleged duty to review and take appropriate legal advice about the fiscal profile of the trust and its underlying companies.
Instructed in contentious proceedings seeking the removal of a trustee of two connected Jersey trusts together with rectification and ratification/confirmation orders. The case was heard over a ten-day trial in which the Court heard live evidence from seven witnesses of fact as well as extensive legal submissions.
Instructed to appear as sole counsel for a third party in financial remedy proceedings (subject to reporting restrictions) raising various issues as to the beneficial ownership of two UK properties.
Instructed, as specialist Chancery counsel to defend claims advanced by the wife in financial remedy proceedings (subject to reporting restrictions) that various holding structures constituted a nuptial settlement amenable to variation by the court.
Hagen v Hagen – Acted, led by Dakis Hagen KC, for the Respondent husband in financial remedy proceedings in the High Court. The case, which settled mid-trial, involved the family behind Viking River Cruises.

Insolvency & Restructuring

Recent Cases

Re BHS Group Ltd; Wright v Chappell [2021] EWHC 3501 (Ch) – Acting, led by Daniel Lightman KC, for the Third Respondent in high-profile proceedings brought by the liquidators of BHS Companies against their former directors for alleged wrongful trading and breaches of duty. The claims, which raise issues in relation to the large deficits in the BHS Group’s pension schemes, are alleged to be worth over £160m and are said to have arisen in the period following the sale of BHS by Sir Philip Green to Retail Acquisitions Limited for £1.
Officeserve Technologies Ltd (In Liquidation) v Anthony-Mike [2017] – Acted, with Dakis Hagen KC, for the former Executive Chairman of a failed tech company accused of misapplying corporate funds for his own benefit.
Assisted Philip Marshall KC in acting for administrators in the Lehman Brothers “waterfall” litigation.

Commercial Litigation

Recent Cases

Currently instructed in a Hong Kong commercial arbitration – Acting for the claimant BVI company in a large-scale and complex dispute arising out of alleged deceit and fraudulent breaches of the shareholders agreement of a company operating in the satellite industry.
Public Institution for Social Security v Banque Pictet & Cie SA [2022] EWCA Civ 29; Public Institution for Social Security v Al Rajaan & Ors [2020] EWHC 2979 (Comm) – Led by Jonathan Adkin KC, successfully challenged the English court’s jurisdiction in one of the largest fraud disputes ever heard in the Commercial Court (one of The Lawyer’s Top 20 cases in 2020). Successfully resisted the Claimant’s appeal on jurisdiction in a three-day appeal which decided novel points on establishing jurisdiction under Art.6 Lugano Convention where there are (i) overlapping claims against the same defendant, some of which must be considered in that defendant’s state of domicile under a jurisdiction clause, and (ii) connected claims against another defendant.
King v Stiefel [2021] EWHC 1045 (Comm); The Times, 4 June 2021 – Acted, led by Daniel Lightman KC, for five of the defendants to a £58 million claim in unlawful means conspiracy brought by the defendants to previous (discontinued) litigation against the same claimants, their solicitors and QC. Succeeded in striking out and obtaining summary judgment in a rare example of a court striking out a fraud claim. The case raised a number of significant legal and procedural issues.
Accident Exchange v McLean & Ors – Acted, with Hugh Norbury KC and Dan McCourt Fritz KC, for Keoghs, one of three firms of solicitors joined to Accident Exchange’s £130m conspiracy claim said to arise out of Autofocus’ “perjury on an industrial scale”. Following successful applications by Keoghs and the other firms for security for costs, the claim settled shortly before trial.
Tatneft PJSC v Bogolyubov & Ors – Acted in this very substantial Commercial Court dispute involving claims under Article 1064 of the Russian Civil Code.
Sim v Shurgard UK Limited – Acted as sole counsel for the Defendant company and successfully obtained an order striking out the Claimant’s claims.

Company

Recent Cases

Robinson v Travel Trade Group Limited – Acted for the Claimants / Applicants in Part 8 proceedings against their co-directors seeking information as to the financial position of the company.

International

Recent Cases

Currently instructed in a Hong Kong commercial arbitration – Acting for the claimant BVI company in a large-scale and complex dispute arising out of alleged deceit and fraudulent breaches of the shareholders agreement of a company operating in the satellite industry.
Grand View Private Trust Company & Another v Wong & Others (Bermuda) No 1 & No 2 – Acted, led by Richard Wilson KC and with James Weale KC, for the Second Appellant on the appeal to the Privy Council concerning assets worth around $500 million and raising issues of legal principle arising out of a trustee’s decision to add to the class of beneficiaries of a family discretionary trust a Bermuda purpose trust from which the pre-existing beneficiaries could never benefit and to appoint the entirety of the trust assets to the purpose trust.
Wong v Grand View Private Trust Company Ltd & Ors – Acted, led by Richard Wilson KC, Jonathan Harris KC and James Weale KC, for the Eighth Defendant in proceedings concerning claims to recover assets worth at least $20 billion currently held in Bermudian purpose trusts. The case is thought to be one of the largest ever trust disputes in the common law world. The trial was heard over six months in 2021. The Bermuda Court of Appeal and Supreme Court handed down judgments on issues including: joint interest privilege ([2021] CA (Bda) 3 Civ, 12 April 2021); hearsay evidence ([2021] SC (Bda) 46 Com, 9 June 2021); open justice ([2021] SC (Bda) 32 Com, 16 April 2021); and the iniquity exception ([2021] CA (Bda) 6 Civ, 11 June 2021).
Acting in overlapping trusts and matrimonial proceedings (subject to reporting restrictions) in which the wife seeks orders to vary a Jersey discretionary trust which holds a multi-million pound chemicals business.
Instructed in highly contentious, confidential proceedings concerning a family trust for one of the world’s wealthiest families.
Instructed in a case concerning claims brought against the former trustee of a trust holding the valuable IP and international trading business of a successful Italian fashion brand. The former trustee was alleged to have been grossly negligent in breaching an alleged duty to review and take appropriate legal advice about the fiscal profile of the trust and its underlying companies.
Instructed in contentious proceedings seeking the removal of a trustee of two connected Jersey trusts together with rectification and ratification/confirmation orders. The case was heard over a ten-day trial in which the Court heard live evidence from seven witnesses of fact as well as extensive legal submissions.
Acted in a multi-billion dollar dispute arising out of mining activities in South America involving complex choice of law and jurisdiction issues.
Defended proceedings in the BVI for enforcement of a multi-million dollar judgment against assets held by a Panamanian Foundation.

Matrimonial Finance: Trusts & Company Law

Recent Cases

Acting in overlapping trusts and matrimonial proceedings (subject to reporting restrictions) in which the wife seeks orders to vary a Jersey discretionary trust which holds a multi-million-pound chemicals business
Instructed to appear as sole counsel for a third party in financial remedy proceedings (subject to reporting restrictions) raising various issues as to the beneficial ownership of two UK properties.
Instructed, as specialist Chancery counsel to defend claims advanced by the wife in financial remedy proceedings (subject to reporting restrictions) that various holding structures constituted a nuptial settlement amenable to variation by the court.
Hagen v Hagen – Acted, led by Dakis Hagen KC, for the Respondent husband in financial remedy proceedings in the High Court. The case, which settled mid-trial, involved the family behind Viking River Cruises.

Group Litigation

Charlotte has experience in this field across a wide range of matters.

Testimonials

“She has got a strong intellect.”

Chambers & Partners 2026

“Charlotte is an outstanding junior. She is incredibly intelligent and has a knack for identifying what really matters. Charlotte is engaging and personable. Solicitors and clients love working with her. She has a bright future ahead.”

Legal 500 2023

“Charlotte is brilliant. She is a superstar in the making.”

Legal 500 2023

Latest

Recent News

: Email Charlotte
: +44 (0)20 7242 6105
: Contact Practice Managers
: vCard
: Download CV
: Shortlist

For general enquiries and instruction advice, please contact our Practice Management Team:

Call: +44 (0)20 7242 6105
or email: clerks@serlecourt.co.uk

Recommendations

English Bar Offshore: Trusts & Private Wealth (The Legal 500)
Private Wealth & Probate (The Legal 500)
Fraud: Civil (The Legal 500)
Fraud: Civil (Chambers UK)

Education, Qualifications and Awards

Buchanan Prize, Lincoln’s Inn
Eastham Scholarship, Lincoln’s Inn
Lord Mansfield Scholarship, Lincoln’s Inn
Lord Bowen Scholarship, Lincoln’s Inn
Hardwicke Scholarship, Lincoln’s Inn
Barstow Scholarship, City University
Stephen Boyd Memorial Prize, Academic Scholarship, University College, Oxford
BPTC, City University
GDL, City University
BA English Literature (Double First), University College, Oxford

BSB Registration

Charlotte Sara Beynon

VAT Number

252989951

Areas of Expertise

Civil Fraud

Recent Cases

Trusts

Recent Cases

Insolvency & Restructuring

Recent Cases

Commercial Litigation

Recent Cases

Company

Recent Cases

International

Recent Cases

Matrimonial Finance: Trusts & Company Law

Recent Cases

Group Litigation

Testimonials

Latest

Recent News

Serle Court Recognised in The Legal 500 Caribbean 2026: The English Bar Offshore

Serle Court achieves outstanding results in The Legal 500 UK Bar 2026

Serle Court Achieves Top Tier Ranking in The Legal 500 Caribbean 2025: The English Bar Offshore

A Standout Year in the Chambers UK Bar 2025 Guide

Recommendations

Education, Qualifications and Awards

BSB Registration

VAT Number

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