Alex Charlton KC, FCIArb
Call 1983 Silk 2008
Instruct Alex
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Alex Charlton is an international arbitrator specialising in disputes concerned with technology, technology related IP and licensing, telecoms, crypto-assets, blockchain and networks. He also has deep experience of disputes in broader commercial sectors such as infrastructure (particularly railways), facilities management and military equipment.
Alex is Legal 500’s Technology, Data & Crypto Silk of the Year 2025. He is listed in both the Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners 2025 in the highest rank for IT. He is also highly ranked in both publications for his work in Telecoms and in Chambers & Partners for International Arbitration (Counsel). He was recognised as being among the highest-ranked Barristers in Who’s Who Legal (UK Bar 2024) and was Chambers & Partners IT/IP Silk of the Year in 2021.
Alex has arbitrated, adjudicated and litigated technology disputes in all sectors of business. Whilst at the Bar, he was instructed in critical disputes by governments in the UK and abroad, by blue-chip customers and Fortune 500 suppliers, rights holders and infringers. He brings to his role as arbitrator the deep experience and understanding gained over 35 years of practice in the most factually complex and technical demanding areas.
Arbitration and Arbitral Appointments
Alex is regularly appointed as a panel member and sole arbitrator in technology and intellectual property disputes. Such appointments have been made under the rules of international arbitral institutions, the Commercial Court in London and on an ad hoc basis.
He is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a member of the ICC, LCIA, HKIAC, AIAC (of which he is a panel member). He is on the ICE’s Crossrail Adjudication Panel and was appointed to the Independent Panel for Post Office’s Horizon Shortfall Scheme (2021-2024).
Featured Arbitration and Arbitral Appointments cases
Sole arbitrator – dispute between client and crypto exchange in relation to alleged breaches of terms of service; counterclaims of misconduct and losses amounting to US $130 million (DIAC, UAE seat).
Co-arbitrator – disputes between commodity trading companies and former employees concerning critical data systems, allegations of breach of contract, misuse of confidential information, and misappropriation of trade secrets (LCIA: London seat).
Sole arbitrator – dispute between a UK inventor/licensor and a corporate licensee concerning allegations of breach/termination of a long-term technology licence for the US, Canada and Mexico, patent and trade mark infringement in the US, claims for injunctions and damages exceeding US $100m, including punitive damages (ICC, London seat).
Sole arbitrator (appointed by the Commercial Court, London) – telecommunications software licence dispute involving companies in Mauritius and Iran (initially LCIA, then ad hoc: London seat).
Co-arbitrator – dispute relating to a software development project in the Far East (SIAC: Singapore seat).
Sole arbitrator in a technology dispute about data centre cabling in Ireland between international parties (ad hoc: London seat).
Sole arbitrator – dispute between an Indian software house and a Middle Eastern software defence contractor in relation to licensing and implementation issues (ICC: London seat).
Independent Panel member of the Post Office Horizon Shortfall Scheme – dealing with claims by postmasters in relation to Horizon software.
Arbitration Counsel
Featured Arbitration Counsel cases
Acting for a Chinese Telco in relation to a series of arbitrations arising out of termination of mobile data network service contracts in Africa in claims amounting to US $500m (DIFC-LCIA and LCIA: seats in Dubai and London).
Acting for a Secretary of State against a contractor claiming £1 billion plus damages for unlawful termination of a national infrastructure IT systems contract (ad hoc, London seat).
Acting for Middle Eastern client in dispute with US company over termination of a licence agreement for e-market software for the mining oil and gas industry (LCIA, London seat).
Acting for US patent owner against a European chip manufacturer in a dispute about 3G protocol stack software development and associated patent licensing (UNCITRAL, London seat).
Acting for a US network manufacturer and service company in relation to licensing of provisioning software for mobile data networks (LCIA, London seat).
Acting for Vanuatu licensor of advertising engine bundled with peer-to-peer music file-sharing download in royalty dispute with a Californian advertising company, NY law of contract. (AAA, London seat).
Acting for UK IP owner of chipset software in dispute concerning a joint venture with South Korean partner. Korean law of contract (ICC: London seat).
Acting for Secretary of State for Defence in a number of disputes concerning procurement of war fighting capabilities on land, sea and air.
Telecom and Network Disputes
Featured Telecom and Network Disputes cases
T-Systems Ltd v EE: acting for EE in relation to an £86m dispute arising out of transformation of EE’s Orange and T-Mobile estates. Acting for EE’s parent company thereafter in relation to related disputes.
Acting for MNO in relation to transition and transformation programs and services for mobile business.
Acting for very large Telco in relation to multiple issues around network upgrade, broadband rollout, supply of services and technology.
Arqiva v Everything Everywhere Ltd: Acting for EE in a series of expedited trials and hearings in the TCC relating to roaming and network rights, statutory code rights and spectrum licences.
Mundio Mobile Ltd v Everything Everywhere Ltd: Acting for EE in relation to multiple service and technical issues with an MVNO.
Acting for a Mobile Network Operator in relation to issues concerning LTE rollout.
Acting for a technology company in relation to 4G RAN network build and roll out in Europe.
Cable & Wireless v ETG: acting for ETG, a telecoms company, in a claim by Cable & Wireless for operation and maintenance fees for IRU capacity.
Acting for the network service provider in relation to claims by an MVNO arising out of a serious service outage in the UK affecting 10m customers.
Fintech and Tech Disputes
Featured Fintech and Tech Disputes cases
Acting for defendant Roger Ver who was alleged to control the BCH Network in a claim for breach of tortious and fiduciary duties. The claim for some US $3 billion was brought by Tulip Trading Limited, a company controlled by Dr Craig Wright who said he was Satoshi Nakamoto: [2022] EWHC 2970 (Ch): see [2023] EWCA Civ 83.
Acting for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Ltd against claims brought by Topalsson GmbH in relation to a failed project for the development and world-wide roll out of a new configurator for the launch of the Roll-Royce Ghost: see [2023] EWHC 1765 (TCC); [2023] EWHC 2092 (TCC).
Acting for Jaguar Land Rover Ltd in defending claims for £22m by Kyndryl Ltd (formerly an IBM company) for contractual variations, estoppels and quantum meruit in relation to a long-term IT infrastructure support and maintenance contract.
Acting for Wipro Ltd in defending claims by Drax Energy Solutions Ltd in claims for misrepresentations, delays and quality breaches arising out of a failed project for a new smart meter customer care and billing platform [2023] EWHC 1342 (TCC).
Acting for LZ Labs GmbH and others in respect of alleged breaches of a mainframe software license with IBM UK Ltd in the UK and US in respect of a software defined mainframe development [2022] EHWC 2094.
Acting for CIS General Insurance Ltd in its £132m claim against IBM UK Ltd in respect of a failed IT project for a new insurance system: see [2021] EWHC 347 (TCC).
Acting for Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust against ATOS IT Services UK in respect of a failed patient record system: see [2017] EWHC 2197 (TCC), [2017] EWCA Civ 2196.
Acting for BSkyB in its £700m claim for deceit against HP Enterprise Services Int Ltd, negligence and breach of contract arising out of a failed project for a Customer Relationship Management and Billing platform [2010] EWHC 86 (TCC).
Infrastructure & Outsourcing Disputes
Featured Infrastructure & Outsourcing Disputes cases
Acting for British Airways in a major claim against its facilities management company in relation to the 2017 data centre outage which caused flight cancellations and travel disruption across the world.
Advising major UK outsourcer in relation to systems introduced to Northern Ireland and whether political events amounted to force majeure.
Appointed adjudicator in a complex dispute around emergency lighting works at water company installations at around 100 sites in the Greater London area.
Tube Lines Ltd v London Underground Ltd: acting as adjudicator in respect of TLL’s £327million additional cost claim arising out of the upgrade of signalling systems on the Jubilee and Northern Line.
Licensing, Intellectual Property & Confidential Information Disputes
Featured Licensing, Intellectual Property & Confidential Information Disputes cases
Acting for a Tanzanian bank against claims for US $33m made in the Commercial Court by a US licensor for breach of licences for banking systems.
Acting for defendants in claims for copyright infringement, misuse of confidential information and patent claims in respect of integrated circuits for optical electronics including transimpedance amplifiers following sale of a business.
Acting for patent licensee in the trial of patent owner’s claims for licence fees on phase III trials of new drugs for pancreatic cancer. Claim discontinued days before trial and indemnity costs argued and ordered.
Acting for licensee of online casino games in relation to intellectual property owner’s enforcement actions.
Acting for banks, airlines, retailers and other commercial organisations in relation to software licensing and infringement claims by software owners and licensors.
Acting for rights owners in relation to unlawful exploitation of films; acting for the owners of a new TV cartoon series against the producers and directors.
Acting for a US Company against a former employee alleged to have hacked into its systems and unlawfully disclosed confidential information to third parties.
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