Commercial Fraud
Richard is an experienced junior in the Commercial and Insolvency departments, with extensive experience of acting in an advisory capacity or as an advocate, of matters relating to commercial fraud.
Richard is listed as a Leading Individual in Chambers & Partners in Commercial Dispute Resolution and Restructuring/Insolvency, and a Leading Junior in The Legal 500 in Company and Insolvency.
He has been variously described as:
- “He is very good on his feet. He is careful and well prepared, and he has a manner that clients can gel with.” “He’s very persuasive in front of a judge and very good at spotting unusual points.” “He is very approachable and very user-friendly.” (Chambers and Partners 2021)
- “Good to work with. Team player. Nothing too much trouble. Reliable and hard working.” (The Legal 500 2021)
- “Very diligent and always well prepared.” (Chambers and Partners 2020)
- a “talented junior with a burgeoning reputation, who handles a wide variety of commercial disputes including company, contractual and insolvency-related matters”, having “exactly the right attitude” and being an “extremely able and user-friendly junior – he is very much a safe pair of hands on all things chancery, commercial and insolvency related.” (Chambers and Partners 2019)
- “a future star who is particularly good at cross-examination” (Chambers and Partners 2018)
Richard is Junior Counsel to the Crown (Regional A Panel) and, as such, instructed regularly in cases involving breaches of directors’ duties, public interest winding up petitions and directors’ disqualification proceedings.
More particularly:
- Richard is regularly instructed in company and insolvency proceedings involving commercial fraud, whether in relation to voidable transactions, breaches of directors’ duties, or otherwise.
- Richard is regularly instructed in unfair prejudice petitions and partnership disputes where allegations of fraud are raised;
- Richard is regularly instructed in cases where there are allegations of breaches or trust or other economic torts, including cases of deceit, conspiracy and the like, as well as claims involving unjust enrichment, asset tracing and accessory liability;
- Richard has experience of contempt of Court proceedings in the High Court, and of dealing with injunctions of all kinds.
Commercial Fraud Cases
Recent and relevant cases include:
Absolute Living Developments Ltd v DS7 Ltd and others [2018] EWHC 1717 (Ch) & [2018] EWHC 1432 (Ch) – being led by David Mohyuddin QC in a case involving allegations of de facto and shadow directorship and largescale fraud amounting to £14,000,000 generally, and in two reported decisions relating to contempt of Court and security for costs as against a liquidator. Richard was further involved in drafting appeal papers to the Court of Appeal in the matter
B v AC & Others – ongoing case involving acting for one of numerous Defendants in a High Court action brought by the Claimants for over £250,000 arising from allegations of fraud and breach of trust as a result of the improper sale of vehicles.
PS v B & Others – acting for receivers of numerous properties comprising hotels in London in an action to seek a validation order for the intended sale of those hotels for a sum in excess of £15,000,000 in the face of opposition from the debtor.
Montpellier Estates Limited v Leeds City Council [2013] EWHC 166 QB – assisting generally in the preparation of and dealing with various interlocutory hearings in the successful defence of a multi-million pound deceit claim made against the Council
Autofocus Limited/Accident Exchange Limited litigation – 2012-13 – assisting in the appeals in numerous cases arising from the fraudulent manufacturing of “expert” evidence in credit hire cases causing multi-million pound losses
MacMillan v Manning (2017) – successful defence of a multi-day trial for misfeasance
