Richard Reynolds > 3TG Barristers > London, England > Barrister Profile

Richard’s practice encompasses the full range of criminal, civil, extradition, and regulatory work. He both defends and prosecutes, whether for the CPS or privately. He has a background in complex fraud, commercial law, and public inquiries and inquests – and provides both civil and regulatory advocacy and advice in addition to his criminal work. He is qualified for direct access matters.

Criminal

Richard regularly appears for the defence in the Crown Court for trials regarding matters such as grave violence, drugs production and supply, firearms offences, serious frauds, and other offences of dishonesty. He has appeared in as led junior in both murder and complex commercial and corporate frauds at court centres such as the Central Criminal Court and Southwark. When acting on behalf of the Crown, he has appeared alone in various matters, in addition to being led, while instructed inter alia by the special casework, and the specialist fraud, divisions.

Richard’s background in commercial and international law means he is well placed to assist with the full range of more complex fraud matters.

Prior to coming to the Bar Richard worked for a leading criminal firm in the City. His work focused on assisting the senior partner with cases of complex and international fraud, he also worked on homicide, historic sex, and driving matters.

Commercial/Civil

Richard has appeared and advised in various matters before the High Court and county courts, including claims for LPP, adverse possession, matters in bankruptcy, contempt, and administrative law matters. Richard has also advised a major national trade body in relation to its successful challenge of certain intellectual property rights and has advised the Metropolitan Police on a range of matters.

Before joining the bar he was General Counsel for a large multinational digital publishing and technology business, owned by one of the largest international Private Equity firms – giving him experience of areas of law such as financial regulation, intellectual property, M&A, consumer law, employment law and general commercial law, in multiple common law jurisdictions. Richard has managed multi-million-pound international transactions, and advised on Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigations and regulation.

Earlier roles

Richard has also previously been part of legal teams to the chairmen of the Baha Mousa and Al Sweady public inquiries, into alleged war crimes in Iraq; and part of the team working for Sir Robert Owen on the inquest into the death of Alexander Litvinenko. This involved addressing matters of the utmost sensitivity.

Richard’s background in commercial law means he is well placed to assist with a range of more complex fraud matters. Prior to coming to the Bar Richard worked for a leading criminal firm in the City. His work focused on assisting the senior partner with cases of complex and international fraud, but he also worked on homicide, historic sex, and driving matters.

Other Activities and Interests

• Richard is the Treasurer for Middle Temple Young Barristers Association.
• In 2017 he conducted a seminar for solicitors on protecting businesses from Bribery Act offences – covering both the law and real-world examples drawn from Richard’s previous experience as a general counsel.

Notable Cases

R v Chamberlin, 2017 – EWCA Crim 39 – Richard was successful in arguing that the starting point for sentencing should be reduced by two-thirds, given recent legislative changes which mean that the previous case law on low-value shoplifting recidivism was no longer good and the sentences for such should rarely, if ever, exceed 12 months even in cases with the fullest range of aggravating features.

R v H, 2017 – Guildford Crown Court. A complex fraud by abuse of position involving both the Metropolitan Police Service and a large multinational company as the victims. Led by Lee Karu QC.

R v F, 2016 – Inner London Crown Court. A murder case involving a stabbing in the early hours of the morning. The defendant was acquitted of murder and convicted of manslaughter by way of lack of intent, despite inflicting more than seven wounds upon the deceased. Led by Patrick Upward QC.

R v T, 2017 – Richard secured an acquittal of section 18 GBH, arising from a dispute between a defendant described by the Crown as a “trained boxer”, and his landlord. The injuries included a shattered jaw after multiple punches.

R v D, 2017 – Central Criminal Court. An upcoming murder case at the Old Bailey involving an alleged fatal stabbing on the top deck of a double decker bus in Marylebone. He is to be led by Anthony Berry QC.

R v R, 2016 – Domestic ABH trial where the jury acquitted almost immediately, the complainant having given evidence and the defence being that the injuries were self-inflicted.

R v W, 2016 – A range of dishonesty offences, where identification was in issue. At the voir dire, Richard exposed a “corporate failure” amounting to a “flagrant breach” of Code D of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act by the local police force. The identification evidence having been excluded, the Crown offered no evidence.

CPS v T, 2016 – Camberwell Green Magistrates’ Court. Richard secured an acquittal at the close of the prosecution case on the basis that the evidence of the police witnesses was incapable of belief – after cross-examination exposed contradictory accounts of, among other things, an alleged assault on a police officer.

R v Mazzerello and others, R v Davies and others – Two cases at different courts involving complex international fraud and money laundering.