Career
Richard is joint leader of Chambers’ Business Crime and Investigations Team. He provides advice and advocacy for clients whose cases involve allegations of financial crime, issues of bribery and corruption, the proceeds of crime and related litigation, and regulatory compliance.
Richard is highly sought after to represent those facing criminal proceedings and for his non-contentious and advisory work, which sees him regularly advise companies and their individual directors and officers on financial crime and financial sanctions breaches and on compliance with related legal and regulatory obligations.
Richard’s advisory practice draws on his extensive experience of representing clients on contentious financial crime matters; many of which involve novel points of law or procedure. Richard is co-author of one of the leading practitioner texts on the UK’s proceeds of crime legislation, Blackstone’s Guide to the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (Oxford University Press, 5th ed) and has given expert evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee.
On the contentious side of his practice Richard is regularly instructed in complex and high profile cases involving allegations of financial crime and related money laundering; particularly where criminal and civil asset recovery powers are engaged to detain, restrain, freeze, recover, forfeit or confiscate assets in the UK or overseas. Richard has a particular interest in and experience of advising on the emerging interface between asset recovery and financial sanctions enforcement. He is routinely instructed to represent the full range of persons affected by the exercise of asset recovery powers and by related judicial orders.
Richard also conducts linked litigation in the High Court.
Work Highlights
Recent cases of note include:
Representing a defendant in criminal proceedings alleging Fraud and Cheat on the Revenue founded upon alleged pension liberation schemes (2024-2025 trial lasting 6 months).
Advising a Big 4 accountancy firm engaged in an internal investigation on potential exposure to financial crime issues arising from IR35 and third party commercial contracts (2024-2025)
Representing a Company Director in criminal proceedings alleging conspiracy to cheat the revenue and conspiracy to defraud with regards to corporation tax (2023-trial in 2025, prosecution offered no evidence following Disclosure failings exposed by the defence).
Advising a corporate respondent (e-banking financial sector) with regards to POCA 2002 Moratorium Period extension in the context of an HMRC investigation into suspected umbrella companies and VAT fraud/cheat (2024).
Advising a corporate fiduciary services provider with regards to the Russia sanctions regime (2022-2025 ongoing).
Advising an ultra HNWI with regards to the Russia sanctions regime (2022-2023).
Advising a non-profit organization with regards to POCA 2002 in the context of metals trading and extra-territorial environmental impact (2024).
Representing a prominent defendant in the largest (cash) money laundering case prosecuted in the UK to date (Operation Larkshot), involving allegations of criminal property valued at £266million (2020-2022).
Advising a former Airbus Executive under investigation by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and the Parquet National Financier (PNF) for offences of Bribery and Corruption (£billions) in relation to securing contracts for the supply of commercial and military aircraft. Detailed written representations were submitted on the relevant law and the facts as to the charging decision. The matter was subsequently formally discontinued by the SFO (2020-2022).
Representing a Fintech corporate in proceedings brought by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) with regards to POCA 2002 Account Freezing Orders and Account Forfeiture Orders totalling £2m (2020-2022).
Advising a corporate on disclosures to His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC) under the Contractual Disclosure Facility (CDF) / Code of Practice (COP) 9 and COP 8) as to fraud (Corporate Liability), failing to prevent the facilitation of tax evasion and cheating the public revenue (2021-2022).
Bringing a successful challenge to seizure and detention applications under POCA 2002 brought by HMRC related to high value Listed Assets and cash, on behalf of an ultra HNWI subject of politically charged allegations of criminal conduct (2022).
Advising on the exercise of police powers in connection with an investigation into alleged assistance provided to an offender in connection with a long running, high profile murder investigation conducted by the Metropolitan Police (2022-2023, investigation concluded, no charges).
Representing an extradited defendant in what was said involve the largest (by value) domestic burglary ever prosecuted and associated money laundering offences. The homes of Frank Lampard and Christine Lampard (jewellery valued at £60,000), Mr Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha (cash and jewellery valued at £1million) and Tamara Ecclestone and Jay Rutland (jewellery valued at £25million) were burgled (2021-2022).
Advising a FTSE 100 PLC on AML and POCA issues (2022-2023).
Previously:
Successfully challenged an HMRC cash detention application under POCA 2002 relating to foreign currency valued at £1million, seized at Heathrow Airport (2019).
Successfully challenged an application for an Account Forfeiture Order under POCA 2002 in relation to funds held in the client account of a solicitors firm (2019-2020).
Representing the principal defendant in a series of Film Tax fraud trials and an independent financial adviser in a Film Tax Fraud (2015-2018).
Representing four defendants in an international bribery and corruption case prosecuted by the SFO (2016-2017).
Defended in a multi £m fraud on the Welsh Assembly and the EU linked to grants for the development of fish feed farms (2018-2019).
Defended in confiscation proceedings in the HBOS case, one of the UK’s biggest banking frauds (2018).
Defended criminal/confiscation proceedings in a Town and Country Planning Act prosecution (2017-2018).
£900m multi-jurisdictional criminal tax fraud and money laundering investigation (2016).
