Charlotte Branfield is developing a broad practice across crime, fraud, financial crime and investigations, regulatory, data protection, sanctions, public law, extradition and licensing.
Prior to joining Chambers, Charlote held a number of global leadership positions at Citigroup, the American multinational investment bank, including global head of strategy and governance for Citi’s business services, and global head of operational resilience.
Charlotte’s current instructions include: junior counsel on a large civil fraud; representing a FTSE 100 company in a multi-day licensing appeal; representing the Metropolitan Police Service in the Crown Court on a multi-day cash forfeiture appeal; acting in the Crown Court on behalf of an individual accused of perverting the course of justice and fraud; and acting in the Crown Court on behalf of an individual accused of child cruelty.
Charlotte has a particular interest in both civil and criminal fraud, financial crime (also known as corporate or business crime), restraint, confiscation and civil recovery, and investigations. She is currently junior counsel in a large civil fraud.
Charlotte is regularly instructed as sole counsel in a range of cash forfeiture, asset forfeiture and account freezing order proceedings, under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. She is currently instructed in a multi-day cash forfeiture appeal in Southwark Crown Court. During pupillage she assisted in advising on property and account freezing orders related to crypto-currencies, and an application to the High Court for an ex parte disclosure order. Charlotte also assisted in advising a property investor on potential fraud and negligence claims.
Prior to joining Chambers, Charlotte worked for Citi where one of her leadership roles included global engagement with governments, regulators, NGOs and civil society on financial and business crime related matters, such as bribery and corruption, money laundering, modern slavery, human and wildlife trafficking, and the Tech for Integrity Challenge, now run by the World Economic Forum’s Partnering Against Corruption Initiative (PACI).
Building on her experiences in banking, Charlotte has a keen interest in developing a broad practice across data protection, financial services, regulatory enforcement, professional discipline and police misconduct.
Data Protection
Charlotte is building a data privacy practice spanning both prosecution and defence. She recently acted for the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in criminal proceedings related to multiple breaches of the Data Protection Act 2018.
Environment
During pupillage, she assisted with the prosecution of a regional water and sewerage company on behalf of the Environment Agency.
In one of her earlier roles at Citigroup, Charlotte led government and regulatory engagement related to green finance, “Environmental, Social and Governance” issues, and climate-related financial disclosures.
Financial Services
Regarding financial services, during pupillage Charlotte assisted in advising clients across a range of issues including: (i) a broker dealer on its MiFID II compliance, (ii) company directors on their duties under the Companies Act 2006, and (iii) resisting applications before the High Court (Insolvency and Companies List) for strike out and summary judgment in relation to the Insolvency Act 1986 following a finding of MTIC fraud in the First-tier Tax Tribunal.
Police Misconduct
During pupillage she gained substantial experience assisting with cases before police misconduct tribunals, and has a developing interest in police misconduct work.
Charlotte has a particular interest in sanctions work. During pupillage Charlotte gained substantial experience of assisting with cases which involved advising companies and individuals on various compliance matters under the sanctions regulations. She is developing her practice in this area and available for instruction in sanctions cases.
Charlotte regularly prosecutes and defends in the Magistrates’ and Crown Courts. She has defended in cases involving a range of offences such as perverting the course of justice, fraud, child cruelty, robbery, blackmail, assault, misuse of drugs, criminal damage, public order, and driving offences. Charlotte also prosecutes in the Youth Court, and her experience includes prosecuting a joint enterprise matter involving grievous bodily harm with intent.
During pupillage, she assisted in an application to the Court of Appeal for permission to appeal against conviction and sentence.
Charlotte is regularly instructed by the Metropolitan Police Service to appear in applications for civil preventative orders, including Closure Orders, Sexual Risk Orders, Sexual Harm Prevention Orders, and Stalking Protection Orders.
Charlotte has a strong interest in extradition law. She has assisted in extradition matters on behalf of requested persons at Westminster Magistrates’ Court and in an extradition appeal in the High Court. She is developing her practice in this area and is available for instruction in extradition cases.
Charlotte acts for licensing authorities in the Magistrates’ and Crown Courts. She is currently instructed in a multi-day licensing appeal on behalf of a FTSE 100 corporate, and appears for the Councils of Westminster City and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in licensing appeals.
During pupillage Charlotte regularly appeared for Transport for London in licensing appeals in the Magistrates’ Court and at the Central Criminal Court.
Charlotte assisted with a range of judicial review and European Human Rights Convention cases during pupillage. She has a keen interest in developing a practice in this area.
Advocates for International Development (A4ID)
Bar Human Rights Committee
Young Fraud Lawyers Association
Women in Criminal Law
Women in Sanctions
BPP University, Bar Practice Course (Part-time: 2021 – 2023) (Distinction).
BPP University, Graduate Diploma in Law (Part-time: 2015 – 2018) (Commendation).
Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI) Level 3 Certificate in Corporate Finance (2016).
University of St Andrews, MPhys (Hons) Theoretical Physics and Mathematics (2010 – 2015).
Professional Awards
US Department of State International Leadership Program (IVLP) 2019, awarded for leadership in the fields of cybersecurity, capacity building and crisis management. This is solely awarded by the US Government; there is no application process.
Academic Awards
The Headridge Scholarship, The Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn (2022).
The David Karmel Scholarship, The Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn (2015).
Shortlist, The Principal’s Medal for Outstanding Endeavour & Achievement, University of St Andrews (2015).
Rector’s Scholar, University of St Andrews (2014).
Deans’ List for Academic Excellence, University of St Andrews (2013 and 2015).
Grade 8 Drum Kit (Merit), Trinity College London & Guildhall School of Music and Drama (2009).
“Operational Resilience 2.0”, Citigroup article, 3 February 2022 (co-author).
“Operationally Paralysed Global Systemically Important Bank (GSIB) Sector Response Principles”, the Bank of England’s Cross Market Operational Resilience Group (CMORG), May 2021 (co-author).
“Banking in the near future: optimising risk management and resilience in the digital age”, interview and article with The Sunday Times, 25 April 2021.
“Cyber-threat intelligence information sharing guide”, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and Citigroup joint report, March 2021 (co-author).
“Beyond prevention: cyber security and the resilience of the financial sector”, presentation to the Bank of England’s Centre for Central Banking Studies, October 2019.
“CyberX: multi country, multi sector cyber attack simulation”, presentation to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Annual Meeting, October 2019 (co-presenter with the IMF and Central Bank of Nigeria).
“Driving cyber resilience in the financial system: the role of central banks”, Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum (OMFIF) and Citigroup joint report, October 2019 (co-author).
“Cyber risk: Leveraging a multidisciplinary approach”, Cyber Security: A Peer-Reviewed Journal, 2 (4), 310-320, 2019.
“From Banks to Drones, Securing our Societies across all Domains”, NATO Information Assurance Symposium, October 2018.
“Managing Cyber Risk with Human Intelligence”, Citi Global Perspectives & Solutions Report, 2019 (co-author).
“Digitizing Governments: The Journey to Enacting a Digital Agenda”, Citi Global Perspectives & Solutions Report, 2019 (co-author).
“Migration to Integration: Innovating for Inclusion and Prosperity”, Citi Public Sector Perspectives, 2017 (co-author).
“The New Model for National Development Banks: Agents and Catalysts for Private Sector Investment”, Citi Public Sector Perspectives, 2017 (co-author).
“Central Bank Reserves: Making Every Asset Count”, Citi Public Sector Perspectives, 2017 (co-author).
Crown Prosecution Service (General Crime) Level 1
Charlotte joined Citigroup (“Citi”) in 2015. Most recently she led the strategy and governance of Citi’s global business services. Prior to this she was the Global Head of Operational Resilience (2019-2022) which involved ensuring Citi had appropriate governance, processes, and communication protocols across 96 countries to continue delivering services in the event of a disruption, e.g., pandemic, severe weather event, cyber attack or third party outage.
In previous roles she led the teams responsible for Cyber and Information Security governance, strategy, employee training, and client and external engagement; and representing Citi globally for Government Affairs on financial crime, cyber security, data privacy, green finance and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) topics.
During her time at Citi, Charlotte spearheaded various initiatives such as partnering with the Bank of England, Prudential Regulatory Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority to produce the principles for regulators and market participants to follow in the event a Global Systemically Important Bank (GSIB) became ‘operationally paralysed’; a pilot multi regulator exam (US, EU, UK) based on CBEST and TIBER-EU; the Financial Stability Board’s Cyber Lexicon and Task Force for Climate Related Disclosure; and a multi country, multi sector cyber attack simulation with the Commonwealth of Nations, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the Central Banks of Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania Uganda and the UK (as Chair-in-Office).
In 2016, she was seconded to Citi’s Public Sector Corporate and Investment Banking team for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).
Charlotte is a member of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee of Gray’s Inn. She is also a Youth Referral Order Panel Member with Westminster City Council, and previously acted as a volunteer Social Welfare Appeal Caseworker within Simmons & Simmons LLP’s “Access to Justice Programme”, and with Career Ready.
I, Charlotte Branfield, am a data controller and can be contacted at 3 Raymond Buildings, Gray’s Inn, London WC1R 5BH or by telephone on 020 7400 6400 or by email at charlotte.branfield@3rblaw.com. My Data Protection Policy can be found here.
All personal data that I process is for the purposes of providing legal services, conducting conflict-checks, marketing, defending potential complaints, legal proceedings or fee disputes, keeping anti-money laundering records, training other barristers and pupils and when providing work-shadowing opportunities, and/or exercising a right to a lien. The types of data I process vary upon the nature of the legal matter in relation to which I am engaged to advise, but can include names, contact details, biographic details and ‘special category personal data’ (such as details of racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, health, sex life and criminal convictions and proceedings).
Depending upon the circumstances of the case, the legal bases upon which I process personal data are (i) the performance of a contract to which the data subject is a party or in order to take steps at the request of the data subject prior to entering into a contract, (ii) the processing is necessary to comply with legal obligations to which I am subject, or (iii) the processing is necessary for the legitimate interests set out above, except where such interests are overridden by the interests or fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subjects which require protection of personal data, in particular where the data subject is a child. When I rely on (iii) legitimate interests, my ‘Legitimate Interests Assessment’ can be found here. When I process data which has not been obtained directly from the data subject (e.g. personal data contained in evidential materials), it will have been supplied to me as part of my instructions in circumstances covered by legal professional privilege.
Depending upon the circumstances of the case, I may share the personal data with:
I retain personal data for no longer than 7 years after the case has come to an end or as otherwise required by law.
I do not intend to transfer data to any country which is not either within the European Union, or otherwise permitted by UK data protection legislation.
Under the UK GDPR, data subjects whose personal data I process have the right to request from me access to, and rectification or erasure of, their personal data, the right to the restriction of processing concerning them, the right to object to processing as well as the right to data portability. Data subjects also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ico.org.uk).
In cases where there is a contract between me and the data subject, the provision of personal data is a contractual requirement and the data subject is obliged to provide the personal data in order that I can supply legal services. A failure to provide such data may mean that I will not be able to provide those legal services.
Rev 2.1 27.09.2024
| Address | 3 Raymond Buildings, Gray’s Inn, London WC1R 5BH |
|---|---|
| DX | 237 LDE |
| Opening hours | 08:30 – 18:30 |
| Telephone | +44 (0)20 7400 6400 |
|---|---|
| clerks@3rblaw.com | |
| Senior clerk | Charlotte Branfield |
