Richard Coleman KC KC > Fountain Court Chambers > London, England > Barrister Profile
Fountain Court Chambers Offices
FOUNTAIN COURT, TEMPLE
LONDON
EC4Y 9DH
England
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Richard Coleman KC KC
Position
Richard Coleman KC’s practice spans commercial dispute resolution, banking, financial services, administrative and public law and professional discipline. He has been instructed in some of the most significant disputes in these areas, such as the FCA’s test case concerning COVID-19 related insurance business interruption insurance claims; the Ingenious litigation concerning advice and lending provided by banks in relation to film schemes promoted to investors on the basis that they would have tax advantages; the disciplinary proceedings brought by the SRA against Baker McKenzie and others in respect of the handling of a complaint; the Bank Charges litigation concerning whether charges levied on current account customers whose account goes overdrawn may be assessed for fairness under the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations; the PPI judicial review concerning the guidance issued by the Financial Services Authority in respect of the misselling of Payment Protection Insurance; the Financial Conduct Authority’s investigation into LIBOR manipulation; and the misselling of interest rate hedging products. He frequently advises on the FCA’s duties and powers and on solicitors’ obligations under the Code of Conduct.
Career
Practised at the English Bar since 1994; Queen’s Counsel 2012; Attorney General’s A Panel 2007-12; member of the New York Bar since 1995.
Publications:
Contributor to Law of Bank Payments (Brindle and Cox, 5th ed.)
Languages
French (working knowledge).
Education
Auckland Grammar School; Cambridge University (MA; Double First Class Hons in the law tripos); Yale University (LLM); Inns of Court Studentship; Hardwicke and Mansfield Scholarships (Lincoln’s Inn); Pegasus Scholarship.
Leisure
Family, books, theatre, travel, rugby.
Lawyer Rankings
London Bar > Banking and finance (including consumer credit)
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 1Richard Coleman KC – Fountain Court Chambers ‘He knows the areas better than almost anyone else. His written and oral advocacy is excellent and he never puts a foot wrong.’
Rated highly for being a ‘leading set in banking work with strength in depth across all parts of the banking sector,’ Fountain Court Chambers handles all aspects of banking and finance matters, ranging from acting for and against large retail and investment banks, to representing their current and former customers in a wide variety of claims. In terms of banking disputes, members of chambers have been involved in a number of precedent setting cases, including NMC Healthcare and Others v Dubai Islamic Bank PJSC and Others, which saw Bankim Thanki KC, Henry King KC, Nico Leslie, Alexandra Whelan and Damien Bruneau represent successful claimants in a dispute arising from competing claims regarding security arrangements over high-value loans. Other standout cases include Loreley Financing v Credit Suisse, where Patrick Goodall KC, Adam Sher, Laurie Brock and Marcus Field successfully acted for Credit Suisse in a claim relating to a CDO that it had entered into, which was linked to residential mortgage-backed securities. Richard Coleman KC and Patricia Robertson KC are noted for their work on a broad range of banking matters, while Rebecca Loveridge is praised as ‘responsive and dedicated,’ as well as being involved in a number of high-value and high-profile claims. James Duffy KC was appointed silk in 2024.
London Bar > Commercial litigation
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 4Richard Coleman KC –Fountain Court Chambers
‘Extremely bright, experienced and user friendly. He gets to grips with the detail and is a calming presence under pressure.’
London Bar > Financial services and fintech regulation
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 1Richard Coleman KC –Fountain Court Chambers ‘Richard is brilliant and very thorough. He adopts a suitably light touch when needed. His real strength is in his advice, which is always astute and comprehensive.’
London Bar > Professional disciplinary and regulatory law
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 1Richard Coleman KC – Fountain Court Chambers ‘Richard is an outstanding leader in this field. He is extremely well versed in the law of professional discipline and regulation. His opinions are founded on a fair-minded, level-headed and thorough examination of the evidence.’
Fountain Court Chambers is ‘one of the pre-eminent sets in this area, with many renowned practitioners, especially in relation to disciplinary and regulatory matters in the legal and accountancy professions‘. Richard Coleman KC is highly regarded for advising solicitors, law firms and the Solicitors Regulation Authority on a broad range of regulatory issues. In recent instructions for the group, Chloe Carpenter KC appeared for the respondent in SRA v Bretherton, a case involving multiple allegations of sexual misconduct brought against a former director at a law firm. In a separate matter, Marianne Butler represented a global law firm before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal in a misconduct case involving alleged breaches of the SRA Principles and Code of Conduct 2011; the Tribunal dismissed the allegations.