Richard specialises in commercial litigation and arbitration, acting both as an advocate and in an advisory capacity. His practice covers all areas of commercial law, with an emphasis on insurance, reinsurance, shipping, civil fraud, banking and finance, energy, professional negligence and general commercial disputes. He has acted in a wide spectrum of cases of different types and sizes and has extensive experience of litigating in the commercial court and representing clients in all forms of arbitration, including shipping arbitrations before the LMAA, insurance arbitrations under the ARIAS Arbitration Rules and international arbitration before the LCIA. He has acted in three of the heaviest pieces of litigation seen in the Commercial Court in recent years: in 2012/2013 he acted for the successful defendant in the high value, one billion US$, Excalibur case relating to oil exploration rights in Kurdistan; in 2014/2015, he acted for the successful defendant in the high profile Republic of Djibouti case involving fraud and alleged misfeasance in public office; in 2019, he acted for the successful defendants in a $100 m insurance claim involving the fraudulent scuttling of an oil tanker off Yemen . The Legal Directories recommend Richard as a leading  silk in his practice areas and is described as “a very powerful advocate”, “hard-working, imaginative and polished” and “a ferocious cross-examiner.”