Blog
When ambitions, articles and duties collide
Richard Clayman
Richard joined the Dispute Resolution team in 2019, having previously worked at two leading civil fraud boutiques in the City.
Richard’s experience covers a broad range of commercial disputes, with a particular focus on civil fraud cases, and disputes involving shareholders, directors and partnerships. He acts for both claimants and defendants, often in complex, multi-jurisdiction and high-value claims. Richard regularly obtains a variety of interim remedies, including worldwide freezing orders, injunctions, security for costs and disclosure orders on behalf of his clients.
Richard has successfully brought and defended various high-profile and legally significant cases, including cases before the Supreme Court, Privy Council and Court of Appeal. Notwithstanding this, Richard strives to find ways through conflict that meet his client’s objectives in an efficient and cost-effective way. Clients rely on Richard to defend their interests incisively and with vigour, while maintaining commerciality, candour and perspective.
Throughout his career, Richard has acted for individual and corporate clients from a range of backgrounds and jurisdictions, and across an array of industries including sports and media, retail, sustainable development, construction, energy, finance and shipping.
Areas of expertise
- Civil fraud;
- Asset recovery;
- Cross-border litigation;
- Commercial and contract disputes;
- Company and Partnership disputes;
- Reputation management;
- Contentious Insolvency;
- Sport and Media disputes;
- Financial services disputes;
- Professional negligence;
- Alternative dispute resolution.
Recent Work
- Acting on behalf of an investor in a technology company bringing a claim against his former business partner for fraud and conspiracy;
- Defending members of a band in proceedings brought by their former manager for unfair prejudice;
- Bringing proceedings on behalf of a large group of shareholders in an EIS company seeking the just and equitable winding up of the company;
- Advising a high-profile sportsman in respect of a potential claim against the sport’s governing body;
- Acting on behalf of the minority shareholders in a sports data business bringing proceedings against the majority shareholder, a major global media business, for unfair prejudice;
- Defending a US company accused of fraud and conspiracy concerning the sale of its shares in a multi-million dollar global sports media business to a Chinese investment vehicle. In doing so, we have recently succeeded in having the majority of claims against our client struck out;
- Defending a Switzerland-based director of a BVI company against contempt of court proceedings in England;
- Acting for the shareholders of a major sustainable development business in complex, multi-jurisdictional proceedings against its former CEO;
- Acting for a Turkish wholesaler against a UK-based importer for breach of contract;
- Defending a company against fraudulent claims for payment under a contract brought against it by a former supplier;
- Obtaining substantial redress for a victim of fraud against gambling companies who received the proceeds of the fraud;
- Successfully setting a statutory demand on behalf of a client in respect of an alleged debt owed to a builder;
- Obtaining an injunction preventing further breach of a husband’s right to privacy against his estranged wife in divorce proceedings;
- Acting on behalf of a company against its former director for breach of non-compete provisions and ongoing director’s duties;
- Advising a listed plc in respect of various contentious issues arising following the resignation of its previous board;
- Advising clients on insurance policy coverage issues;
- Advising directors and shareholders upon the insolvency of their companies;
- Engaging in alternative dispute resolution to obtain favourable settlements for clients.
Recent Publications
- Avengers Assemble: Fighting Fire With Diversity, TL4, January 2022
- FIRE by the Liffey - a FIRE Starters Global Summit 2022 round-up, TL4, February 2022
- The Court of Justice breaks a leg (JW v LOT Polish Airlines), Lexis PSL, February 2022
- Leaps of Faith: ‘Good Faith’ Obligations Between Shareholders, TL4, June 2022
- Are you being served? Conflating ‘personal service’ with ‘service at a relevant place’ (BEC Construction v Melt Hythe), Lexis PSL, July 2020
- Serving a purpose—purposive construction of service provisions (Banco San Juan International v Petroleos De Venezuela), Lexis PSL, August 2020
- Court of Justice confirms the relevant time for determining a consumer’s domicile (mBank v PA), Lexis PSL, October 2020
- Foreign process delays justify alternative service on Russian defendant’s English lawyers (PJSC National Bank Trust v Mints), Lexis PSL, December 2020
Professional Societies and Memberships
- London Solicitors Litigation Association
- Commercial Fraud Lawyers Association
- Fraud Lawyers Association
- International Bar Association
- Law Society
