Polly Richard

Practice Areas

Polly is a partner in the Dispute Resolution Department.

Polly has a broad range of commercial litigation experience including disputes arising out of corporate transactions, complex contractual disputes and multi-jurisdictional insolvency litigation. Her practice also includes acting on complex investigations (both regulatory and internal).

Polly was one of the partners on the Travers Smith team that advised Hewlett Packard Enterprise, the Claimants, in relation to the high profile, highly publicised and complex dispute amounting to US$5 billion arising out of the US$11 billion acquisition of Autonomy Corporation plc in late 2011. The trial was one of the longest (ten months, starting in March 2019) and most complex ever heard by the English courts. In January 2022, Mr Justice Hildyard delivered his conclusions, finding that the Claimants had "substantially succeeded" in their fraud claims, whilst citing that the legal representation and assistance provided during the case had "been of the very highest standard".

Polly co-led the Travers Smith team which acted for the joint nominees in relation to the high-profile challenge to Caffe Nero's company voluntary arrangement (CVA). In September 2021, Mr Justice Green dismissed the challenge application and rejected all allegations of material irregularity and unfair prejudice. This case has had important ramifications for landlords, CVAs, insolvency practitioners, high-street retailers and the hospitality industry.

Polly co-led a team in relation to a very high-profile internal investigation for a large Bank.