Richard Cooper
Richard is a seasoned litigator with over 2 decades of experience specialising in complex and high value commercial and corporate litigation in the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.
Richard has spent much of his career representing claimants and defendants in commercial and corporate litigation including shareholder disputes, professional negligence and insolvency claims.
More recently, Richard was sole General Counsel to a multi-national I-Gaming organisation, giving Richard an astute appreciation of the requirements of a business when using legal services.
The legal guides have recommended Richard for over a decade. Listed in various Legal Guides, Legal 500 describes Richard as: –
“Brilliant – he is there when clients need him, and the way he manages cases in court is both professional and extremely clever; his attention to detail and client care are both first class.”
“Richard Cooper is highly knowledgeable and approachable, with an excellent client manner. Fast response times and available at all times, within reason, he devotes his time and energy securing the very best outcome with excellent results. Client care is at the heart of what he does and he does this exceedingly well.”
“Richard Cooper’s attention to detail and ability to manage the client through the process is exceptional. He recognises the need to guide the client away from the emotional aspects of the dispute toward a commercial outcome.”
Richard has “an intuitive understanding of litigation” and “a very good way with clients, combining pragmatism with innovation in the application of the law” .
“Richard Cooper is very experienced in commercial litigation and has a particular skill in shareholder disputes.”
Key Experience
Corporate and Commercial Litigation
Injunctions
- Successfully defended injunctive proceedings and a claim for damages following a team exit to a competitor.
- Successful alternative construction of a post termination restriction resulting in the release of an interim injunction with no order as to costs.
- Successfully obtained an injunction against 7 employees who had taken confidential information and set up in competition. Richard secured a significant payment in damages at mediation.
- Successfully restraining presentation of a winding-up petition of a family SPV property owning company.
Professional Negligence
- Successful in a claim for £25 million against solicitors and accountants arising out of a management buyout where there was a shortfall in surplus cash on acquisition causing the company to fail.
- Claim for £17.5 million against accountants arising out of a negligent employee share valuation.
- £3 million claim against accountants for failing to follow their own tax advice.
- Successful claim of professional negligence for failure of solicitor to prevent the sale of the matrimonial home with the result that the wife lost her interest.
Corporate / Partnership
- Representing the Claimant in a claim of unfair prejudice following unilateral dilution of his shareholding (media company). Claim settled with substantial payment of the Claimant’s legal costs.
- Successfully represented the Claimant in an unfair prejudice claim where majority shareholders awarded themselves excessive directors’ emoluments so as to suppress dividend payments (manufacturing company).
- Achieved a good result in an Unfair prejudice claim in connection with a telecoms company.
- Successfully acted for a solicitor in a solicitors’ partnership dispute on exit from one of the West Midlands leading commercial firms.
- Shareholders’ dispute in connection with one of the West Midlands’ premier Football clubs.
Breach of Contract
- Represented the Defendant in a seven-figure consumer credit claim arising from a litigation funding agreement. Richard raised technical arguments over enforceability of the agreement resulting in a significant saving to the Defendant.
- Successfully represented the Claimants in a monetary claim against the Developer in connection with 3 substantial multi-million-pound homes securing judgment on strike out for the Claimants.
- Successfully acting for a Casino in its breach of contract claim against its ATM provider for approximately £900,000.
Insolvency work
- Acted for Insolvency Practitioners in bringing proceedings for antecedent transactions (transactions at an undervalue / transactions defrauding creditors / preferences) and possession and sale proceedings. Richard is also experienced in block transfers of IP appointments.
Outside of work
Richard enjoys spending weekends in Devon on the water and long summer holidays travelling throughout Europe in the family motorhome sampling each countries wineries.