About Richard
Richard is an experienced practitioner who specialises in a wide range of work that is dealt with by the Business and Property Courts. He has a particular focus on disputes relating to property and the estates of deceased persons.
Professional Memberships - Chancery Bar Association. Northern Chancery Bar Association. Northern Circuit Commercial Bar Association
Commercial Litigation - Richard’s commercial practice covers all types of contractual disputes: consumer contracts, sale of goods, building contracts and insurance.
Property - Richard has an extremely wide ranging property practice, with a particular interest in the law of landlord and tenant.
His general property practice includes disputes relating to co-ownership, adverse possession, rights of way, restrictive covenants, boundary disputes, proprietary estoppel, land registration, and torts affecting land. He is also experienced in contractual disputes concerning land including the exercise of options. He regularly appears in the High Court, the County Court and before the Tribunal on such matters.
Richard’s landlord and tenant practice covers all aspects of the field.
He deals with claims relating to residential property on both short and long leases. He litigates claims for possession, disrepair and in respect of nuisance. On longer leases he deals with service charge disputes, claims for enfranchisement under the various enactments, and claims to exercise the right to buy.
Richard also practises in the field of commercial leases, acting for both landlords and tenants. This includes claims to renew leases under Part II Landlord and Tenant Act 1954, forfeiture and other breach of covenant claims, dilapidations, break notices and licences to assign.
Richard also advises on professional negligence claims against solicitors and surveyors arising out of property matters.
Wills, Probate & Trusts - Richard has a wide practice in the fields of trusts wills and probate.
Richard has particular expertise in disputes relating to the estates of deceased persons, whether they be disputes as to the validity of wills, or applications for financial provision under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975. He has appeared in a number of trials in relation to such issues. He also has considerable experience of the use of ADR to resolve such disputes.
Richard acts on applications to the Court for the construction and rectification of wills, and for the variation of trusts. He also appears on non-contentious probate matters and before the Court of Protection.
Notable Cases - Oldham MBC v. Makin [2017] EWHC 2543 (Ch) Richard was instructed by the executor of Ian Brady in a dispute concerning the disposal of the Deceased’s remains. The case raised wider issues as to the inherent jurisdiction of the Court, the jurisdiction under Section 116 Senior Courts Act 1981, Section 46 Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 and the appropriateness of reporting restrictions.
