Richard was called to the Bar in 1992.
Practicing from St Ives Chambers for over 20 years, he took a break from practice in 2015 to work in-house at a large Housing Association, heading up a legal team comprising four other qualified lawyers plus paralegals and support staff. He has now returned to Chambers in order to offer his expertise more widely.
A pioneer in the field of antisocial behavior orders and injunctions, Richard has practiced in the field of housing for over 20 years. His clients have included large institutional landlords, including Councils and Housing Associations, private homeowners and tenants.
Richard has a particularly wide and technical knowledge of social housing. Uniquely amongst practitioners at the Bar, Richard has a keen understanding of the different competing pressures and interests that corporate clients are acting under, gained from his years working in-house.
In particular, Richard has a wealth of experience advising on and defending housing conditions claims brought against landlords by their tenants, whether at an early stage under the pre-action protocol or in court.
Richard prepares and presents seminars and other training in the area of housing law.
Please see specialist profile for further information.
Midland Circuit
Social Housing Law Association
University of Essex, LLB (Hons) Law
Inns of Court School of Law – Bar Vocational Course (VC)
Friendship Care & Housing Association v Begum [2011] EWCA Civ 1807
Richard appeared for the landlord in a case based on the husband/joint tenant’s criminal activity, including drug dealing in the neighbourhood and fencing stolen property. The husband was in prison and the behaviour unlikely to recur while he was serving his sentence, but although the wife had been aware of his criminal activities she had done nothing to stop them or distance herself from them.
The appellant wife appealed the judge’s decision not to suspend the possession order, relying heavily on the interests of the children, who were innocent of any wrongdoing (as well as having a number of extra vulnerabilities).
Richard successfully persuaded the court at first instance that the wife had been, if not complicit in her husband’s behaviour, aware of it and had done nothing to stop it or discourage it. Her attempts to distance herself from his activities were undermined in cross examination, and the judge held that her misleading account given in evidence was such that he could not rely on any assurances that she was giving as to future behaviour.
The Court of Appeal agreed, and upheld the outright possession order that was made.
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St Ives Chambers is particularly well known for its family law expertise, which spans family finance, children and care matters………. Other key areas include crime and regulatory, commercial, Chancery and banking matters……Legal 500
