Richard Blakeley KC

Richard Blakeley KC is a commercial specialist with particular expertise in civil fraud and bribery, cross-border disputes, claims governed by foreign law, banking, and competition law. Richard was appointed King’s Counsel in 2024 and is described in the directories as a “mega star for the future”, noted for his excellent oral advocacy, as having “the ear of the court”, being “[t]enacious, robust and capable of producing performances that blow you away."

Richard is highly ranked across multiple categories of the legal directories where he is praised for his “razor sharp intellect”, his “grit and resilience”, his “user-friendl[iness]” and for his ability to “dismantle[] the other side’s case before the judge in a merciless fashion leading to conclusive wins. His intellectual ability is first-rate and he has gravitas well beyond his years”. Alongside excellent and robust oral advocacy, Richard is “a brilliant drafter” and “an immensely impressive draftsman of written argument – highly focused, and effective and easy to work with."

Richard is routinely involved in the most high-profile and largest disputes before the English Courts. Recently, those include:

Acting for the Republic of Mozambique in a series of linked proceedings concerning bribery and corruption and arising out of the Tuna Bonds scandal. The litigation is worth over $2bn and has already reached the Supreme Court (where the Republic prevailed) on a question concerning s.9 of the Arbitration Act.
Acting for Mercedes in its defence of over 300,000 claims in the largest group litigation order made in the English courts in the NOx emissions litigation (known colloquially as ‘Dieselgate’).
Acting for the Republic of Nigeria in its claims against JPMorgan for $1bn for payments allegedly made as part of a corrupt scheme dating back to the 1990s.
Acting for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in claims it brings against 8 USD LIBOR panel banks under US law and EU/UK competition law based on the banks’ alleged collusive suppression of USD LIBOR during the global financial crisis.

As well as appearing at all levels of the English Courts, Richard is an experienced commercial arbitration practitioner including under ICC and LCIA rules. Richard also accepts appointments as a sole arbitrator or member of a tribunal.

In addition to his commercial practice, 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 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 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 having been awarded a full scholarship.

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. 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.

YEAR OF CALL: 2007 YEAR OF SILK: 2024