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Drake Charlotte

Charlotte Drake

Global Head of AI & Digital Transformation

Charlotte is Global Head of AI and Digital Transformation at Stephenson Harwood, known for her strategic insight, practical approach, collaborative style, and an unwavering commitment to clients and colleagues.

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Awards and Recognition

Co-author of the only dedicated book on corporate trusts and bond restructuring in the market, published for Stephenson Harwood's corporate trust clients. 

Stephenson Harwood / London Publishing Partnership

“Having worked with the Stephenson Harwood Corporate Trust team for many years on a variety of complex and interesting matters, I am consistently impressed by the depth of their legal knowledge together with their commercial outlook and pragmatism. Charlotte and Jonathan are a pleasure to work with, which makes appointing them a very easy decision.” 

Eliot Solarz, Director – Head of Corporate Trust, Law Debenture

Biography

Language - English
Key Jurisdiction - England & Wales

Charlotte leads the firm’s strategy for using technology and artificial intelligence to enhance client service and the delivery of legal work.

As a partner with over 20 years’ experience across private practice, in-house and senior knowledge roles, Charlotte combines legal, operational and innovation expertise. Immediately prior to taking up this role, she worked as a partner in the Finance team, advising corporate trustees and agents on complex financing transactions, while also acting as knowledge partner for the firm’s wider Finance group. This combination of recent fee-earning experience, knowledge leadership and innovation insight gives her a practical understanding of how legal work is delivered in real client situations and how it can be improved.

Charlotte focuses on helping teams deliver legal services more efficiently, consistently and effectively, with a strong emphasis on outcomes that matter to clients. She is known for her clear, pragmatic approach, simplifying complex issues and ensuring that innovation translates into tangible benefits in practice.

Experience

  • Fairhold Securitisation

    Advising the note trustee on contentious issues in the Fairhold securitisation, taking over from previous advisers and subsequently helping the trustee through the compromise of claims and the £1 billion restructuring.

  • Disputed Event of Default

    Advising a note trustee on allegations of default raised by activist noteholders and disputed by the issuer, helping to navigate complex stakeholder dynamics and protect trustee interests.

  • Bank consent solicitation

    Advising the bond trustee on a bank's invitation to its bondholders to tender their perpetual bonds for cash and approve modifications enabling redemption -  ensuring the trustee’s duties were fulfilled and its interests protected throughout.

  • Securitisation transactions – LIBOR transition

    Guiding the bond trustee through consent exercises to transition multiple debt securities from LIBOR to SONIA.

  • Complex debt restructurings

    Supporting note and security trustees in a range of high-profile corporate debt restructurings (drawing on two decades of experience going as far back as the landmark bond restructurings of the early 2000s, such as Railtrack, Marconi and British Energy).

  • Trust administration and new transactions

    Regularly assisting trustees and financial institutions with day-to-day trust matters and new issuances.

  • Knowledge leadership

    Leading various knowledge-based projects for the Finance Group during periods of significant change (e.g. Brexit, the Covid pandemic and LIBOR transition), ensuring colleagues and clients received timely, practical, and efficient advice.

  • Innovation

    Working closely with the Stephenson Harwood innovation team to ensure that Finance transactions are delivered to clients as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible.

专业知识

新闻与见解

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Corporate Trusts

Who is the noteholder? Another update …

Corporate Trusts
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Corporate Trusts

Trustee basics: Edition 1

Corporate Trusts
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Commercial Litigation

Fiduciary focus: Supreme Court draws the line on loyalty

Commercial Litigation
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Real Estate

VietJet and the enforcement of security assignments: what does the latest case law mean for lenders?

Real Estate
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Restructuring & Insolvency

Undue influence in joint borrowing: the Supreme Court’s new "bright line" test for lenders

Restructuring & Insolvency
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Finance Litigation

Beyond the ‘no look through’ principle: Caxton v Essity and the rights of ultimate beneficial owners in noteholder disputes

Finance Litigation
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Paris

International Banking Review 2025/26

Paris
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Funds

Implied terms in a facility agreement – more than you bargained for?

Funds