Charles Raffin

Practice Areas

Charles Raffin is a highly regarded commercial barrister specialising in the resolution of international and domestic commercial disputes through courts, arbitration, mediation and other forms of ADR.

Charles’ broad commercial and commercial/chancery practice encompasses civil fraud (with related contempt of court work), company/joint venture/partnership, CDR (including construction, franchising, sports and costs disputes), insolvency and trusts litigation. Charles advises and appears regularly in arbitration disputes under all the major international arbitral rules.

Recommended by Chambers & Partners UK and Global and Legal 500 for his onshore and offshore work, Charles is known as: "incredibly bright, responsive, detail-orientated and thorough", "very commercial, very sharp and a delight to work with", “a great thinker. He is excellent on the law and strategy”, “a very effective advocate” and "excellent on every level".

Much of Charles’ work has a strong international edge. He is called to the Bar of the British Virgin Islands and acts regularly for clients based in, or involved in disputes in, jurisdictions including Europe, Russia, the Americas, the Caribbean (the BVI, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands and the Turks and Caicos), and the Far East, and he enjoys working with foreign counsel and experts of foreign law. Much of Charles’ work involves conflicts of laws, and he also acts as an expert on English law in foreign proceedings.

Charles’ experience at the Bar is enhanced by his three years as an Associate in the International Arbitration & Litigation Group of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (UK) LLP and then his later secondment with a major litigation funder.

Charles is co-author of Electronic Disclosure: Law & Practice (OUP) and a regular speaker at online and in person national and international conferences and seminars (including at the Chancery Bar Winter Conference, various English-Cypriot Law Days, the Legal Business International Arbitration Summit and CDR Autumn Arbitration Symposium). A member of the Middle Temple International Sub-Committee, Charles has assisted and advised civil rules committees in various jurisdictions over pending amendments to rules concerning discovery/disclosure.

Professional Memberships

-Commercial Fraud Lawyers Association (CFLA)

-Chancery Bar Association

-COMBAR

-LCLCBA

-The Fraud Lawyers Association

-MCIArb

-TECBAR

-London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA)

Publications

-Co-Author of Electronic Disclosure Law and Practice, Oxford University Press, first edition October 2017 (with Michael Wheater).

-Contributor to Paul Reed KC, Construction Professional Indemnity Insurance, Sweet & Maxwell 2018.

-Contributor to Paul Reed KC Construction All Risks Insurance, Sweet & Maxwell, 2014. 2016 and to the third edition published in 2021.

-Contributor to Insurance Broking: Practice and the Law, Informa.

-Charles is a frequent contributor to a number of publications including the Journal of International Banking and Financial Law as well as providing materials for LexisNexis and Practical Law.

Experience

International

Charles is described as having, “a vast depth of experience and is an absolute team player, which is key when working across different time zones and with different legal teams.” (Chambers and Partners 2025, Commercial Dispute Resolution)

Charles is recommended in Chambers & Partners UK and Global and Legal 500 as, variously a leading Chancery: Commercial, Commercial, Civil Fraud, Insolvency and Offshore practitioner.

A large proportion of Charles’ litigation and arbitration practice involves international clients, disputes and/or jurisdictions or seats. Charles is very well versed in working with foreign counsel, expert witnesses of foreign law and conflicts of law issues.

Called to the Bar of the British Virgin Islands, his experience covers mainland Europe, Russia, the Middle East, the Americas, the Caribbean (including the Turks & Caicos, the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and the Cayman Islands) and Hong Kong and the Far East.

As well as advising, assisting and acting for parties involved in international disputes, he also acts as an expert on English law in foreign proceedings (eg the Russian Court of Appeal).

For further details of his particular expertise and recent experience, please see relevant sections of his profile.

Charles is a member of the Middle Temple International Sub-Committee and is currently on the Working Groups for both New Zealand and Australia. He is regularly involved with events aimed at the international market including London International Disputes Week.