Charles Enderby-Smith

Charlie has a substantial specialist practice advising individuals, companies, and sovereign states on various international and domestic sanctions regimes, including those of the UK, EU, US, and UN. His work spans strategic and pre-emptive designation-risk mitigation, sanctions-related reputation management, licensing and compliance, banking and de-risking issues, designation challenges, regulatory engagement, and sanctions-related commercial disputes.

He has particular experience representing designated persons and non-sanctioned individuals and businesses affected by sanctions-related allegations or restrictions; and has broad experience covering a wide range of geographical and thematic sanctions regimes (including Syria, Moldova, Russia, Myanmar, Yemen, and Iran), and human rights and anti-corruption sanctions.

Pre-emptive designation-risk mitigation

• Represented a high-net-worth client in relation to allegations threatened by the Financial Times that the client had facilitated the unlawful trade of Russian oil, successfully correcting the newspaper’s record, preventing publication and thus significantly reducing sanctions designation risk.
• Acted for a prominent Iranian in challenging allegations in the press which had created significant sanctions risk, and engaging with the EU Council in order to mitigate that risk.
• Advised a large Myanmar company and family owners in relation to UK and EU designation risk, and in mitigating that risk.
• Advised a large international Moldovan company and prominent political figure on EU, UK, and Canadian designation risk and on strategic mitigation.
• Successfully engaged with multiple news outlets on a pre-publication basis on behalf of an ultra-high-net-worth Iraqi client regarding allegations arising from a US sanctions designation, as well as proactive engagement with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in order to mitigate designation risk under the UK’s Iranian sanctions regime.
• Advising an ultra-high-net-worth individual on mitigation of sanctions risk under the UK’s Russia sanctions regime, reputation management, and countering allegations made by political and business opponents.

Licensing and compliance

• Obtained for a UK corporate client one of the first licences granted by OFSI under the (at the time) new divestment derogation, in order to divest a UK-designated minority shareholder from its ownership.
• Advised a UK corporate client designated under the UK’s sanctions regime in one of the first applications for an OFSI licence for dissolution.
• Advised on securing a judgment debt from a UK-designated opponent in UK litigation, including on the licensing position.
• Advised a HNW UK resident on compliance with UK sanctions of participation in certain corporate actions of a Russian company.
• Provided ongoing advice to a group of UK companies designated under the UK’s sanctions regime (through “ownership and control”), ensuring compliance with UK sanctions as well as continued survival of the business through OFSI licences including under “basic needs” and “prior obligations” derogations.
• Regularly advises on sanctions licences and regulatory engagement with OFSI, including issues concerning frozen funds and the ability of designated persons and businesses to meet legal and other expenditure.
• Advises companies, investors, and individuals on sanctions compliance, including asset freezes, ownership and control, financial restrictions, contractual performance, and sanctions-related regulatory risk.

Banking and de-risking

• Successfully engaging on behalf of an UHNW client with an insurance institution which threatened to terminate critical contracts in light of the client’s Ukrainian sanctions designation.
• Engaging with financial institutions and counterparties on behalf of an UHNW client in order to facilitate ordinary business and personal transactions.
• Engaging with “KYC” databases (such as World-Check and LexisNexis) on behalf of clients in order to rectify false or outdated allegations, including those relating to alleged sanctions designations.

Designation challenges

• Acted in successful EU court proceedings securing the annulment of restrictive measures imposed on a prominent Moldovan businessman and politician under the EU’s Moldova regime.
• Acted for former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and members of his family in proceedings successfully challenging EU restrictive measures imposed under its Egypt sanctions regime, and associated UK sanctions.
• Advised a member of the family of an ex-head of State in relation to his designation under the UN’s Yemen regime, and de-listing therefrom.
• Represented prominent Syrian businessman Nizar Assaad in the successful annulment of his EU designation under its Syria sanctions regime, and removal from the UK’s equivalent regime.
• Advised a prominent Ugandan politician on designation under the UK’s anti-corruption sanctions regime.
• Advised a large Chinese company on its designation under the UK’s human rights sanctions regime.
• Advised a prominent UHNW businessman on designation under the UK’s Russia sanctions regime, and strategy for challenge.
• Advised on the removal of multiple sanctions designations for clients at UK and EU level through (confidential) administrative applications and procedures.

Sanctions-related commercial disputes

• Advised Ukraine on its defence of a US$400 million ICSID claim arising from restrictive measures imposed following Russia’s invasion in 2022.
• Advised on the interaction between sanctions and commercial contracts and disputes, including an ultra-high-net-worth individual in a dispute concerning the completion and delivery of a luxury yacht, where the defendant argued that sanctions had frustrated its ability to perform its contractual obligations.

Charlie advises individuals, corporations, and sovereign states on complex international arbitration and cross-border disputes. He has experience acting in ICSID, LCIA, and LMAA proceedings, as well as related proceedings (for example, freezing injunctions) across multiple jurisdictions, with a particular focus on high-value commercial and investment disputes.

• Advised Ukraine on its defence of a US$400 million ICSID claim arising from the country’s imposition of restrictive measures following Russia’s invasion in 2022.
• Advised a Brazilian high-net-worth individual on the recovery of a multi-million-dollar shareholding, involving LCIA arbitration proceedings, UK insolvency proceedings, and related litigation across multiple jurisdictions.
• Represented a Brazilian mining company in multiple LMAA arbitrations concerning the transportation of mining ore in South America.
• Advised an UHNW client in relation to a commercial dispute over the construction of a yacht, including advice re LMAA proceedings.

Charlie advises companies, individuals, and financial institutions on a broad range of commercial disputes. He has particular experience in professional negligence, contractual disputes, property-related matters, and financial product mis-selling claims, as well as disputes involving cross-border, reputational, or regulatory issues.

• Advising a member of the Saudi royal family in relation to obligations arising under a joint venture agreement.
• Secured a successful settlement for the claimant through mediation in a high-value professional negligence claim against the client’s solicitors.
• Advised an ultra-high-net-worth individual in a dispute concerning the delivery of a luxury yacht.
• Advised an English property development company on its rights under a valuable land option agreement, including dispute strategy and negotiations with the counterparty.
• Represented a prominent sports person in relation to a dispute with developers relating to a residential property.
• Advised on multiple disputes arising from the mis-selling of financial products, including interest-rate hedging products, pensions, and investment schemes.
• Advised a UK property developer on the successful settlement of a negligence claim brought against engineers over the faulty design of certain infrastructure.

Charlie advises high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, politicians, prominent individuals, and corporate clients on defamation and wider reputation management, frequently in matters with an international, political, or regulatory dimension.

He has particular experience of matters in which reputational issues arise alongside sanctions and other political and geopolitical measures, as well as alongside sensitive commercial disputes.

• Represented former King of Spain, Juan Carlos I, before the Court of Appeal in his defence of a claim brought against him by Danish businesswoman Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn. The case involved allegations of harassment, and complex issues of sovereign and state immunity.
• Represented a high-net-worth client against the Financial Times, which threatened to publish allegations that the client had facilitated the unlawful trade of Russian oil, successfully correcting the newspaper’s record and preventing publication.
• Secured corrections to allegations published in the UK national press concerning a politically prominent ultra-high-net-worth client’s alleged involvement in the Panama Papers.
• Engaged with KYC and due-diligence databases, including World-Check and LexisNexis, to secure the correction of false and outdated information relating to various clients.
• Successfully engaged with multiple news outlets on a pre-publication basis on behalf of an ultra-high-net-worth Iraqi client regarding allegations arising from a US sanctions designation.
• Obtained corrections from the Daily Mail in relation to false reporting concerning two high-profile clients and their personal lives.
• Advises individuals facing potential sanctions designation on the reputational and communications aspects of designation-risk mitigation, frequently alongside specialist strategic communications advisers.

Charlie advises individuals affected by Interpol notices and international law-enforcement measures, including applications to Interpol’s Commission for the Control of Files for disclosure and for de-listing, in particular where notices have been politically motivated or otherwise improperly imposed. He provides guidance and representation on challenges to information circulated through Interpol and the associated international, reputational, and practical consequences.

• Successfully secured the deletion of an Interpol Red Notice issued through abuse of Interpol’s process against a client.
• Successfully secured the removal of an Interpol Yellow Notice improperly imposed as a result of fiercely contested family proceedings.
• Successfully secured the removal of an Interpol Blue Notice issued against the family member of an opponent to the petitioning State’s political regime.

Charlie advises high-net-worth individuals, companies, and investors on complex fraud, asset recovery, and fiduciary-duty disputes. He has experience managing multi-jurisdictional claims involving misappropriated assets, tracing exercises, and strategic recovery actions across multiple legal forums.

• Advised a high-net-worth client on the multi-jurisdictional recovery of a multi-million-dollar shareholding, the transfer of which had been fraudulently procured by the respondent.

Charlie advises businesses and individuals on resolving complex commercial and other disputes through mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution.

• Successfully mediated a dispute on behalf of a corporate client that had brought proceedings against Barclays Bank in relation to the mis-selling of an interest-rate hedging product.
• Secured a successful mediated settlement in a high-value professional negligence claim against the client’s former solicitors.
• Secured the return of a multi-million-dollar shareholding for a client through mediation with administrators of the client’s opponent in the context of a complex, multi-jurisdictional, multi-discipline dispute.

Charlie advises individuals, corporations, heads of state and sovereign states on matters of public international law, both in the context of wider disputes and PIL-based claims in their own right.

• Represented former King of Spain, Juan Carlos I, before the Court of Appeal in his defence of a claim brought against him by Danish businesswoman Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn. The case involved allegations of harassment, and complex issues of sovereign and state immunity.
• Advising a member of the Saudi royal family in relation to obligations arising under a joint venture agreement.
• Advised Ukraine on its defence of a US$400 million ICSID claim arising from the country’s imposition of restrictive measures following Russia’s invasion in 2022.

Charlie advises high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, corporate clients, and prominent individuals on media disputes and reputation management. His work frequently involves national and international media organisations and matters with significant cross-border, political, or regulatory dimensions.

• Represented former King of Spain, Juan Carlos I, before the Court of Appeal in his defence of a claim brought against him by Danish businesswoman Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn. The case involved allegations of harassment, and complex issues of sovereign and state immunity.
• Represented a high-net-worth client in responding to allegations threatened by the Financial Times, successfully correcting the newspaper’s record and preventing publication.
• Secured corrections to allegations published in the UK national press concerning a politically prominent ultra-high-net-worth client’s alleged involvement in the Panama Papers.
• Advised an ultra-high-net-worth Iraqi client concerning allegations arising from a US sanctions designation, successfully engaging with multiple news organisations before publication.
• Obtained corrections from the Daily Mail concerning false reporting relating to two high-profile clients and their personal lives.
• Engaged with World-Check, LexisNexis, and other due-diligence databases to correct false or outdated information affecting various clients.

Charlie advises high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals on disputes involving luxury and other high-value assets, particularly where sanctions or other political or geopolitical measures are involved.

• Advised an ultra-high-net-worth client in a dispute concerning the completion and delivery of a luxury yacht, including allegations that sanctions had frustrated contractual performance.
• Advised an ultra-high-net-worth Russian client on compliance with UK and EU sanctions in respect of the use of her private jet.
• Provided guidance in relation to certain obligations under an asset finance agreement underpinning the purchase of a private jet within the context of international sanctions.
• Represented a high-net-worth client on the recovery of a multi-million-dollar shareholding that had been fraudulently transferred, involving a multi-jurisdictional asset-recovery strategy.

Recognised by The Legal 500 for Public International Law 2026

Recognised by Chambers UK as a recommended lawyer for sanctions 2026

Top Recommended Lawyer in The Spear’s 500 UHNW Wealth Managers Law guide 2026

“Charles Enderby Smith is an excellent lawyer. He combines charm with ruthless litigating instincts. He is a real asset to any team.”  The Legal 500 2026

“Charles Enderby Smith brings calm and reassuring leadership and clear strategic judgement. He’s a trusted advisor in high stakes matters.”  The Legal 500 2026

“A truly super sanctions specialist.”  Chambers & Partners 2026

“An immediate port of call for any client with sanctions issues.”  Chambers & Partners 2026

Contributing Editor, Chambers Global Practice Guide: Sanctions 2025

Co-author of The Effects of Sanctions on Contracts and International Arbitrations, Global Legal Insights, International Arbitration 2025

Co-author of the UN Sanctions chapter of Global Investigations Review’s Guide to Sanctions