Charlie Wright

CHARLIE WRIGHT works on a broad range of contentious and regulatory matters, with a focus on commercial litigation, technology, international arbitration, dispute resolution, and cross-border investigations.

Charlie has acted for individuals and corporate clients across a wide range of complex multijurisdictional disputes and investigations. He has worked with corporates, ultra-high net worth individuals, financial institutions, and trading firms, as well as technology, analytics, and media businesses.

Charlie has conducted disputes and investigations across a number of overseas jurisdictions, including Europe, Asia, and the Americas. He has significant experience with conducting litigation in the High Court of Justice of England and Wales, including in obtaining injunctive relief for clients. Charlie has also advised clients on managing and responding to matters of critical financial and reputational risk, including investigations brought by shareholders, whistleblowers, and the government.

Charlie’s experience includes cases which have involved allegations of dishonesty, conspiracy, cyberfraud, and data and confidentiality breaches, as well as shareholder, partnership, and sponsorship disputes.

Charlie has also advised clients and rights holders on IP protection, including copyright and trade mark issues, on enforcement strategy, and defending against infringement claims. His work spans the full lifecycle of IP disputes – from early investigations to litigation before the High Court and the Court of Appeal.

Recent experience includes:

• Acting for a leading Swiss commodities trader in relation to a claim under a cross-undertaking in damages resulting from a Worldwide Freezing Order, and defending a connected counterclaim which involved allegations of dishonesty.
• Advising a leading Formula One organization on a contractual dispute with a principal sponsor in respect of obligations arising out of their sponsorship agreement.
• Acting for a technology giant in concurrent proceedings in the High Court, Court of Appeal, and Competition Appeal Tribunal, dealing with issues of copyright infringement.
• Advising a Chinese surveillance equipment company in relation to a government investigation on issues of procurement and perceived risks to the UK’s national and security interests of the incorporation of the company’s equipment into the UK telecommunications and surveillance infrastructure.
• Advising a technology giant in the investigation and enforcement of various cybercrime and intellectual property actions.
• Acting for a UK merchant banking group in the recovery of substantial outstanding loans and coordinating and executing the overseas arrest and sale of a high-value vessel in connected proceedings.
• Acting for a preeminent financial information and analytics company in a restrictive covenant dispute and connected minority shareholder action.
• Acting for the administrators of a financial services company as part of an investigation into its collapse and associated debts of over £250 million, culminating in a six-month trial.
• Acting for a Latvian chemicals distributor in a multijurisdictional dispute arising out of unsatisfactory and unfulfilled manufacture and distribution agreements.
• Successfully obtaining multiple Norwich Pharmacal Orders on behalf of clients seeking disclosure of further information, particularly in cases which involved a suspected misappropriation of assets.

*Some of the above matters were handled prior to joining Sidley.

Charlie has a keen interest in pro-bono work and charitable outreach as part of his practice.

Through his work with Kids In Need of Defense, Charlie has helped provide support to children from disadvantaged backgrounds in successfully applying for British citizenship. He has also worked with the Free Family Representation & Advocacy Project, through which he provides ad hoc legal advice and representation to individuals at the Central Family Court, including advocacy in hearings.

Charlie has also advised a number of UK-based companies on the legal and constitutional requirements involved in obtaining B Corp.