"One of the smartest Commercial Juniors and a shoo-in to any litigation team heading into battle – delightful company and a mega star for the future."
Richard is a commercial specialist with particular expertise in civil fraud, cross-border disputes, banking, and competition law and is frequently instructed in high value and substantial cases as lead/sole counsel or as part of a larger team. Richard is also a leading international sanctions practitioner, having previously been named Global Young Practitioner of the Year by the World Export Controls Review.
Richard has been recommended by Chambers and Partners for many years, including as “A brilliant, brilliant junior counsel who is very clear-headed" and as a “mega star for the future” who “has the ear of the court”. Legal 500 recommend him as being "Brilliant, very sharp and a true superstar."
Richard is a commercial specialist with particular expertise in civil fraud, cross-border disputes, banking, and competition law and is frequently instructed in high value and substantial cases as lead/sole counsel or as part of a larger team. Richard is also a leading international sanctions practitioner, having previously been named Global Young Practitioner of the Year by the World Export Controls Review.
Richard has been recommended by Chambers and Partners for many years, including as “A brilliant, brilliant junior counsel who is very clear-headed" and as a “mega star for the future” who “has the ear of the court”. Legal 500 recommend him as being "Brilliant, very sharp and a true superstar."
Recent high-profile cases in which Richard is instructed include:
In addition to his commercial practice, Richard also has particular expertise in challenging and advising on EU and UK sanctions measures and has been instructed by dozens of banks, companies and individuals to challenge the sanctions imposed upon them both in the European Court of Justice and the Administrative Court and to seek damages for unlawful listings.
Richard regularly appears unled in the Commercial Court, the Chancery Division, and the European Court of Justice; he has also appeared in the Administrative Court, the Court of Appeal and the European Court of Human Rights. Richard has acted in numerous arbitrations, including arbitrations under ICC and LCIA rules.
Richard has been a member of chambers since the completion of his pupillage in 2008. Prior to coming to the Bar, Richard received a double first in Law from the University of Cambridge, graduating from Fitzwilliam College with the prize for the best academic performance in the graduating class across all science and arts subjects. He then received his LL.M. at Harvard Law School to which he was awarded a full scholarship (as the Baker McKenzie scholar).
Before commencing his pupillage, Richard spent time working in investment banking for Goldman Sachs. Richard was based in GS’s Operations division, working with credit derivative and interest rate swaps in the documentation team. Whilst studying for the BVC, on which he was ranked outstanding, Richard was a supervisor in Constitutional law at Gonville and Caius College and Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, an examiner in Applied Criminology at the University of Cambridge, and a tutor and examiner in public law at King's College, London.
Outside of his practice, Richard acts as a mentor for young people and students from disadvantaged and under-represented groups, including via the charity Into:University and as part of the Commercial Bar’s mentoring scheme.
Richard practises in all aspects of commercial dispute resolution. In recent years, Richard has been instructed on a number of high profile commercial disputes, with particular experience in cross-border fraud and banking disputes.
These include:
Richard has a broad EU and competition law practice and is regularly instructed on EU and UK competition law litigation and matters.
Competition matters on which Richard has been instructed include:
Richard’s practice is profoundly international with specific expertise in cross-border commercial disputes, jurisdiction challenges, international fraud and corruption, and sanctions matters. Richard also practices EU law and has appeared led and unled in the High Court, the General Court and the Court of Justice on EU and international cases. Richard has also appeared in the European Court of Human Rights in interstate disputes.
Recent international and EU law matters in which Richard has been instructed include:
Richard has also been instructed in a series of leading European and domestic sanctions cases over the last decade, including Bank Mellat, Bank Saderat, EuropäischIranische Handelsbank AG, IRISL, Mamancochet Mining, and Lamesa Investments v Cynergy Bank.
Richard is often instructed to advise on public law matters and matters in the Administrative Court and has appeared in the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg representing the Russian Federation in its dispute with Georgia over alleged human rights violations during the August 2008 war in South Ossetia.
In addition to on-going advisory roles on public law issues, including for the FA Premier League, Richard also has expertise in cases involving a mix of commercial and public law considerations. For example, Richard assisted in the claim for judicial review in Corbiere v SSHD see [2017] EWHC 3364 (Admin) in which the Claimants sought to prevent the deportation of a foreign national who is the defendant to civil proceedings for breach of confidence in which Richard was instructed in the Chancery Division. The case raised novel issues around the interaction of Article 6 and A1P1 rights with ongoing civil proceedings. Richard’s specialism in international corruption also frequently raises public law issues in multiple jurisdictions.
Richard has been instructed on a number of judicial review cases regarding the application of sanctions and regularly advises on the applicability and meaning of UK sanctions. For example, Richard was instructed to seek an injunction restraining the Foreign Secretary from voting to re-impose sanctions on an Iranian individual at a meeting of the EU Council in Brussels: NITC and Golparvar v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs [2015] EWHC 282 (Admin). Richard has also advised the FSA and HM Treasury on a number of issues concerning the payment of compensation under guaranteed investment and deposit schemes and as junior counsel to the Pollard Inquiry into Newsnight’s dropping of a story into abuse by Jimmy Saville.
Richard is regularly engaged in commercial arbitrations including arbitrations under the ICC and LCIA rules.
Most recently, Richard was instructed to act for the defendants in a HKIAC arbitration concerning the ownership of a mining concession and its operation, including the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the contractual obligations of the parties.
Richard has also acted in a series of multi-million dollar LCIA arbitrations acting for successful insurers seeking to avoid payment under a political risk insurance policy.
Education
BPP School of Law (2006-2007)
Harvard Law School (2005-2006)
Fitzwilliam College, University of Cambridge (2002-2005)
Qualifications
Bar Vocational Course (2007) (Outstanding)
LL.M. (2006)
MA Law (2005) (First Class)
Other
Crossfit Level 1 Trainer
Scholarships & Prizes
Lincoln's Inn
Buchanan Prize
Lord Denning Scholarship
Hardwicke Entrance Award
University of Cambridge
Baker & McKenzie Scholarship (full scholarship for LL.M. at Harvard Law School)
ECS Wade Prize for administrative law
Squire scholarship
Fitzwilliam College
Scholar of the Year (best academic performance across all subjects and years in Fitzwilliam College graduating class of 2005)
Reddaway Prize (for contribution to the prestige of the College)
Mary Luck Prize (for achievement across a Cambridge career)
Winner, the Weekly Law Reports mooting competition (2004)
Other
Winner, the Weekly Law Reports mooting competition (2004)