William Charrington

Practice Areas

William advises corporate clients, institutions and high net worth individuals on a wide range of contentious matters including resolving complex contractual and civil fraud disputes. His practice has a strong focus on disputes involving intellectual property, art and cultural property.

William is a senior associate in the Farrer & Co Dispute Resolution team.

William’s clients in the art world include galleries, museums, artists and collectors. He has acted in a wide range of art disputes involving allegations of misrepresentation over provenance, false attribution, theft and contested donations.

His work in the art sector combines with his expertise in copyright infringement and misuse of trade marks.

William has a special interest in civil fraud and has advised clients on applications for interim relief including freezing injunctions, asset disclosure orders and passport seizure orders.

William has extensive court experience and has conducted cases in a range of jurisdictions including the Commercial Court, Technology & Construction Court, Intellectual Property Enterprise Court and the Court of Appeal.

William advises on alternative forms of dispute resolution such as mediation and arbitration. His pragmatic approach has helped clients to settle disputes on satisfactory terms without having to involve the courts.

William recognises the burden that litigation can place on clients in terms of time and costs. He therefore encourages clients to think about managing their litigation risk at the earliest opportunity. He advises clients when contractual terms are being negotiated, counselling on potential dangers and on the inclusion of the most appropriate dispute resolution provisions.

Professional Memberships

Fraud Lawyers Association

London Solicitors Litigation Association

British Italian Law Association

Industry Sector Expertise

Private Businesses: William frequently advises clients on disputes in the private business sector, in particular, in the IP & Technology space. He recently advised a tech entrepreneur on a high value dispute arising out of alleged misrepresentations in respect of a company developing technology to be used in the music industry.

Art & Cultural Property: William has advised art dealers, individuals and institutions both in the UK and abroad in relation to contractual disputes and the recovery of stolen works. He recently advised a foreign institution on the recovery of artefacts which were stolen from its premises in the 1990s and which resurfaced at auction in London.

Education: William works with Russell Group universities and research institutions, most often on contentious intellectual property issues. He advised a UK research institute on its obligations and associated risks following a request for third party disclosure of its confidential documents in relation to high value patent litigation in the US and Canada.

Work Highlights

GB Minerals Holdings Ltd v Short [2015] EWHC 1387 (TCC)

GBM Minerals Engineering Consultants Ltd V GB Minerals Holdings Ltd [2015] EWHC 3091 (TCC)

Otkritie v Urumov & Ors [2014] EWHC 191 (Comm)

Chilab v King’s College London [2013] EWCA Civ 147