Crossing over with the set's insurance expertise, 7 King’s Bench Walk is ‘highly regarded and respected for its experience and strength in the civil fraud sector’. In one high-profile case, Richard Waller KC and Michael Ryan successfully represented the claimant in Malhotra Leisure v Aviva Insurance, a claim for indemnity against the insurer for declining to pay for losses under the COVID-19 business interruption policy following water damage to the hotel - defeating the insurer's allegation that the flood was deliberately caused. Andrew Pearson is ‘a fearless and skilled advocate, practical in devising strategy and tenacious in court, especially when running difficult arguments, and has very good judgement’. In a boost to the senior end of chambers, the ‘very sharp and tactically astute’ Jason Robinson KC was appointed silk in March 2025.
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Position
A commercial barrister specialising in insurance and reinsurance, international arbitration, civil fraud and shipping. Richard’s ride-ranging insurance practice includes political risk, marine, trade credit, Bermuda form, D&O, Warranty & Indemnity, business interruption, product liability, contingency and offshore construction.
He is currently acting for the Lloyd’s war risk market in Aercap v Lloyds Insurance Company (2023) which relates to the failure of Russian airlines to return western-leased aircraft following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, which is the largest case currently before the Commercial Court. Richard’s other Commercial Court cases include: CRF v Republic of Cuba [2023] EWHC 774 (general commercial; assignment; bribery sovereign debt); Brillante Virtuoso [2019] 2 Lloyd’s Rep. 485 (marine insurance; scuttling); Orb ARL v Ruhan [2015] EWHC 262 (civil fraud); Republic of Djibouti v Boreh [2015] EWHC 769 (civil fraud; government officials; corruption; freezing orders); Excalibur v Texas Keystone [2015] EWHC 566 ($1.6 billion oil exploration dispute; banking; joint venture; litigation funding); Kriti Filoxenia [2015] (shipping, arbitration appeal, time charter cancellation) and Crudesky [2012] 2 Lloyd’s Rep. 503 (shipping, Government detention of a tanker in Nigeria). Richard also has a thriving international arbitration practice, both in London and abroad, including the high-profile Opioids insurance claims.
Career
Qualified 1994; Silk 2012.
Education
Cambridge University (MA).
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Testimonials
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- 'He is extremely intelligent, and his judgement and appreciation of commercial realities is excellent.'