Charlie Griggs

Recent representations (includes matters prior to joining Kirkland) include acting for:

Commercial Litigation

• Market Financial Solutions Ltd v. Paresh Raja: advising the Joint Administrators of MFS in obtaining a worldwide freezing order and pursuing Commercial Court claims against the Defendant arising out of the insolvency of MFS;
• Sousou Connect v. Abel: advising the Founder of a private equity firm in successfully obtaining a total dismissal of the Claimant’s claims for a percentage of capital raised by an investment fund manager;
• Iconic Sports Eagle Investment LLC v. John Textor: advising Iconic in its Commercial Court claim against John Textor, and latterly in the Court of Appeal, arising out of Iconic’s US$ 75 million investment in Eagle Football Holdings Limited, the owner of Crystal Palace F.C., Olympique Lyonnais, RWD Molenbeek and Botafogo;
• Byju’s Alpha Inc v. Byju Raveendran: advising a group of creditors in obtaining a worldwide freezing order in the DIFC Courts and pursuing civil fraud claims against the Founder of an education technology company;
• Appian Capital Advisory LLP v. Sibanye Stillwater Limited: advising Appian in its successful Commercial Court claim against Sibanye Stillwater, the purchaser of two of its portfolio mines in Brazil following the termination of a US$ 1 billion transaction;
• Frasers Group Plc v. Silver Point Capital L.P. et al: advising Silver Point in defending Commercial Court claims issued by Frasers Group Plc arising out of the insolvency of Debenhams Plc;
• AQR Capital Management v. The London Metal Exchange: advising AQR and other investors in Commercial Court claims against The London Metal Exchange arising out of trades cancelled by the exchange and surrounding the spike in the price of nickel in March 2022;
• Summer Parent S.a.r.l. (a portfolio company of BC Partners) v. Gerrard MIPCO Ltd: advising the Claimant in Commercial Court claims against Gerrard MIPCO Limited relating to issues arising out of the management of United Group BV, a leading European media and entertainment business;
• The Carlyle Group v. Esken: advising The Carlyle Group in its Financial List claim against London Southend Airport Company Limited arising out of a £125 million loan advanced to Southend Airport in 2021;
• NZP Pharmaceuticals Ltd (a portfolio company of Advent International) v. Boydell: advising Advent in a Commercial Court claim, and latterly in the Court of Appeal, in successfully obtaining interim relief and seeking to enforce post-termination restrictive covenants;
• Allianz Global Investors GmbH v. UBS AG: advising the Defendant in defending Commercial Court claims arising out of an investigation into the foreign exchange market;*
• Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank v. Joint Administrators of NMC Healthcare Plc: advising the Joint Administrators in Abu Dhabi Global Markets claims arising out of the liquidation of NMC Healthcare;
• The ECU Group Plc v. UBS AG: advising the Respondent in successfully defending a third party disclosure application in support of the Applicant’s claim against HSBC Bank Plc;*
• Discovery Land Company LLC v. Stephen Jones: advising the Claimant in a Commercial Court claim to successfully obtain judgment and committal against the Defendant for misappropriation of funds held in a solicitor’s client account.*

International Arbitration

• American construction management and engineering company in US$ 4 billion dispute arising out of the construction of an airport in the Middle East (ICC Arbitration, Qatari law, London seat);*
• Saudi Arabian “gigaproject” owner in its disputes with sub-contractors, financing parties and designers (SCCA Arbitration, Saudi law, Riyadh seat);
• Saudi Arabian “gigaproject” owner in its disputes with contractors and financing parties (SCCA Arbitration, Saudi law, Riyadh seat);
• Saudi Arabian EPC contractor in a dispute arising out of the termination of its JV partner (ICC Arbitration, English law, London seat);
• American heavy equipment manufacturer in a global debt recovery claim arising out of the Bolivar Republic of Venezuela (including litigation in the courts of Tennessee, Switzerland, Curacao and arbitration before ICC and LCIA administered tribunals);
• Swiss pharmaceuticals company in US$ 300 million Swiss and Belgian seated ICC administered arbitration proceedings against its licensee (ICC Arbitrations, Swiss / Belgian law, Geneva / Brussels seats);
• American pharmaceuticals company in a dispute against its licensee in the People’s Republic of China (ICC Arbitration, English law, London seat);
• American pharmaceuticals company as the Buyer pursuant to an SPA for claims against the Seller for breaches of the SPA (LCIA Arbitration, English law, London seat);
• Saudi Arabian conglomerate of Energy trading countries in a dispute arising out of the US blockade on Iran (ICC Arbitration, English law, London seat);
• Egyptian infrastructure investor in billion dollar arbitration arising out of an investment in Algeria (ICSID Arbitration);*
• Indonesian gas to power generation company in a dispute with former company executives (SIAC Arbitration, English law, Singapore seat).*

*Matters prior to joining Kirkland

Associate, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher UK, London, 2020–2022

Charlie has also acted for a wide range of pro bono clients on issues such as: international human rights abuses; unlawful imprisonment for espionage charges; individuals on death row in the United States; emergency / disaster responses; enhanced sentencing and the incrimination of sexual offences; same-sex equality issues in Africa; poverty alleviation; and, African wildlife trafficking and poaching.