Richard joined Burges Salmon as a trainee in 1984 and became a partner in 1992. He heads up the Commercial Real Estate Disputes Unit which comprises six other full-time specialist lawyers practising in this area.
In breadth of experience, knowledge and client base the Real Estate Property Disputes team is dominant. The Team is recognised in Chambers UK 2012 as being "approachable, problem-solving, timely in providing advice and strategic." Richard has been listed as a leading individual in his field for a number of years. Legal 500 2011 describes him as a ‘very good negotiator’, and ‘commercially astute’.
Richard advises on all aspects of freehold and leasehold disputes and has considerable experience and expertise at all forms of dispute resolution including mediations, arbitrations as well as contested litigation.
The current state of the property market has necessitated commercial advice in the areas of property insolvency related issues, maintenance of property portfolios and reviews of previous property professional input. Richard is well experienced in all these fields to advise.
Recent experience includes:
• Advising on number of high net worth dilapidations disputes
• Representing University over user issues relating to part campus occupation
• Dispute over construction of overage provisions relating to development agreement
• Number of claimant led professional negligence claims for property related matters including solicitors, surveyors and agents
• Adjudication through Land Registry procedure over adverse title claim to development land
• Advice on rent review clause and construction of assumption requirements
• Mineral rights dispute
• Dispute over telecommunications mast and construction of agreement
• Service Charge dispute involving Capital expenditure on refurbishment of premises and replacement of capital plant
• Advising on construction of Turnover rent clauses and implications
• Dispute over required remedial works flowing from provisions of sale contract relating to large industrial site
Richard lectures on numerous subjects including specialist areas of landlord and tenant, real property and secured lending. He is a chairman of the South West England and Wales division of the Property Litigation Association.