Richard has a broad, multi-jurisdictional disputes practice covering commercial, public law, pensions and tax disputes as well as data and cyber related matters. He has experience advising clients at all stages of a dispute - from how to avoid potential challenges when planning and implementing transactions through to resolving regulatory challenges and eventual proceedings.
Highlights include:
- Advising Aston Martin, Banco Santander Totta, Bupa, Diageo and others on various High Court and arbitral proceedings litigation arising from their commercial or banking arrangements.
- Advising on challenges to or defending various Government departments on a range of judicial review, sanctions and other public law challenges. Public examples include defending the Department of Transport on various international rail matters, the Ministry of Defence on coordinated commercial and judicial review claims brought by entities ultimately controlled by Terra Firma and HM Treasury and certain wholly owned subsidiaries on actual and threatened public and private law claims.
- A number of high profile pension matters, including the Trustees of the BBC Pension Scheme Trustees, the BT Pension Scheme, 3i plc, and the Trustees of the Railways Pension Scheme on separate Part 8 proceedings, as well as the Trustees of the BT, Marks and Spencer and Ford pension schemes on their judicial review of changes to RPI.
- A wide range of contentious tax matters, including transfer pricing, VAT and unallowable purpose enquiries, as well as tax tribunal proceedings and appellate proceedings, such as for Bupa, Coca-Cola European Partners, Credit Suisse, Diageo, GE and Vitol.
- Supporting clients through all aspects of cyber, data protection and privacy, including in relation to data/cyber breach prevention and response, DPA enforcement or privacy-related litigation.
Richard features in the Chambers and Partners 2026 rankings for Tax Litigation and Investigations as well as Administrative and Public Law. He is also recognised by Legal 500 2026 as a Leading Partner for Tax Litigation and Investigations and Pensions: Dispute Resolution.
Richard is described as “an excellent litigator with an incredibly calm and reassuring presence in difficult situations”, Chambers and Partners 2024, Tax: Contentious. Commentators also highlight Richard is “an excellent, cool-headed lawyer who never loses sight of practicalities and the client’s best interests”, Chambers and Partners 2026, Administrative & Public Law.
Other sources describe him as “very commercially aware and a first-rate communicator”, Legal 500 2025, Pensions: Dispute Resolution.