Partner

Richard Reichman

“He is fastidious with the details… He is humble and a secret weapon.”

Chambers UK

Richard is a partner specialising in regulatory investigations and enforcement, corporate crime and financial crime. He is ranked in Chambers UK and The Legal 500, being described by sources as “phenomenal”, “extraordinarily focussed”“calm”, “strategic and commercial”“super impressive”“a first-class lawyer” and “the complete package”.

He has extensive experience representing companies and individuals in the most serious, complex and high-profile contentious matters across a broad range of risks. He advises regarding investigations and prosecutions involving offences such as corporate manslaughter, gross negligence manslaughter, health and safetyfood safety and hygiene (acting for Michelin starred restaurant groups and high street name food businesses), environmental (he advised in relation to the largest ever investigation by the Environment Agency), fire safety (including in relation to the Grenfell Tower tragedy), and product safety. He is frequently involved in significant cases involving ESG compliance issues, including supply chain due diligence and modern slavery, such as for companies in the fashion, food and utilities sectors. He also advises regarding financial offences such as fraud, bribery, insider dealing (he represented a defendant in the largest and most complex investigation into insider dealing ever conducted by the FCA), market manipulation and money laundering.

He is instructed at the earliest stages to provide creative, strategic and proactive advice regarding crisis management, large internal and external investigations, regulators’ powers (e.g. dawn raids, compelled document requests and enforcement notices), corporate co-operation, interviews under caution, prosecutions, civil penalties and associated proceedings such as inquests and inquiries. He is skilled at using the latest technology to meticulously prepare data heavy cases.

Richard’s cases often require technical expertise in overlapping areas of business crime and regulation, for example joint police and HSE investigations, allegations of regulatory breaches combined with financial crime, and requests for sensitive data obtained during investigations under the Freedom of Information Act and Environmental Information Regulations.

His experience includes matters falling within the remit of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Environment Agency (EA), Food Standards Agency (FSA), Local Authorities, Fire and Rescue Authorities, Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), Serious Fraud Office (SFO), Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and police / Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

He is frequently asked to comment on regulatory and corporate crime issues, including writing and speaking about novel developments, trends and practical issues during investigations and enforcement action.

After graduating from the University of Leeds with an LLB (Hons) degree in 2003, Richard completed his Legal Practice Course with a distinction and was awarded the Law Society Prize for the highest mark achieved at the learning institution for the year. He trained and qualified into a leading national firm before moving to an international firm, gaining comprehensive experience in complex, high-value and multi-jurisdictional matters. Richard joined BCL in 2012 and became a partner in 2018.

Publications:

  • Corporate Investigations 2023 – England & Wales’ – ICLG (co-author) (November 2022)
  • Environment Agency to issue £250 million civil penalties to polluting water companies’ (co-author) (October 2022)
  • UK greenwashers could face crackdown following US and German actions’ – Investors Chronicle / Financial Times (contributor) (June 2022)
  • CMA to issue consumer protection penalties of up to 10% of global turnover greenwashing becomes more costly’ (April 2022)
  • ‘You receive a Health and Safety Improvement or Prohibition Notice: when, why, and what to do next’ (March 2022)
  • Covid Inquiry: what is it and will prosecutions follow?’ (June 2021)
  • Tesco fine serves as warning to food industry’ – New Food Magazine (May 2021)
  • Unlawful killing following Maughan’ – The Barrister (April 2021)
  • Tesco receives highest ever food safety fine of £7.56 million’ – New Food Magazine (April 2021)
  • SFO cooperation guidance provides clarity on leniency’ – Compliance Week (contributor) (August 2019)
  • Perils of self-reporting’ – Financier Worldwide (July 2019)
  • Self-reporting of corporate wrongdoing should be further encouraged’ – Euronews (July 2019)
  • Food allergen labelling consultation launched following high profile inquest’ (February 2019)
  • Corporate Investigations 2019 – England & Wales’ – ICLG (co-author) (January 2019)
  • Regulating autonomous vehicles – New corporate criminal offences’ (January 2019)
  • New manslaughter sentencing guideline likely to lead to longer prison sentences’ (September 2018)

Speaking:

Richard is regularly invited to present on business crime and regulatory issues, particularly in relation to emerging risks.  Recent speaking engagements include:

  • Lexology, BCL Solicitors and 2 Bedford Row (Eleanor Sanderson and Shauna Ritchie) – “Defending Regulatory Investigations & Prosecutions” (November 2022)
  • Matrix Chambers – Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) Conference – ‘Greenwashing: Who, Where, What, Why, How?’ (April 2022)

Professional Memberships:

  • Health and Safety Lawyers Association
  • UKELA (UK Environmental Law Association)
  • Fraud Lawyers Association
  • The Law Society

What the directories have said:

“He is fastidious with the details… He is humble and a secret weapon.

Chambers UK, 2023

“He is extremely well organised and a calm and measured individual. He is also an intelligent and bright chap. It takes a certain kind of character to get this work; he has to be good in a number of arenas: inquests have to be pitched right, and you have to be mindful of families and health and safety inspectors wanting answers. Richard is ideally suited to all of that, so he is extremely measured in the way he operates. There is no one I could think to handle health and safety better.

Chambers UK, 2023

“He does the fraud side and the health and safety side and sometimes the fraud and health and safety cross paths. He is competent and ambitious, and he’s probably one of the leading health and safety lawyers by now.

Chambers UK, 2023

“Richard is very meticulous. He has a real eye from detail and is really good at strategy.

Chambers UK, 2023

“He is very good at the workings of a company – how boards work – and very organised. He is super impressive and a first-class lawyer.

Chambers UK, 2023

“He is extraordinarily focused and has got a really good gift for recalling detail. He can process huge amounts of information very quickly. He is also very client friendly. Clients get on with him tremendously well because of his relaxed personality, even under high pressure stressful environments.

Chambers UK, 2023

“He’s very good at presenting and very good at pointing out new areas of the law that would be of interest. He’s really great at commanding an audience…

Chambers UK, 2023

Richard Reichman is phenomenal. He is able to grasp the detail of a case very quickly and can identify tactical and strategic issues likely to arise. His knowledge of the law is excellent. He has a thoroughbred background in corporate crime meaning that he is adept at advising Boards and working with a range of regulators and investigators.

Legal 500, 2023

“Richard Reichman is extremely capable. He is calm under pressure has a strategic and commercial way of supporting clients through the challenges of a regulatory investigation.”

Legal 500, 2023

“Richard Reichman has phenomenal knowledge of cases and he is a superb team player with superb client care skills. He is the complete package.”

Chambers UK, 2022

“He is fantastic: he’s thorough, well prepared and really attentive to the client’s needs.”

Chambers UK, 2022

“Richard Reichman goes above and beyond for his clients. Really conscientious, thoughtful and clever. Very impressive.”

The Legal 500, 2021

“Richard was extremely thorough and insightful. He broke down and managed things without us having to be involved, which we really appreciated. He moved everything along and ensured things got done within a tight timeframe. I would highly recommend Richard.”

Chambers Insights, 2022

“Richard is great to work with and a very good lawyer. He has a phenomenal knowledge of cases and will just get on with things, rather than being vocal about his skills.”

Chambers Insights, 2022

“He’s very competent and a safe pair of hands.”

Chambers Insights, 2022

“He knows the detail inside out and will work tirelessly on cases.”

Chambers UK 2021

“Richard Reichman knows his cases inside out. He is detailed, thorough and careful to ensure that no mistakes are made when presenting his clients’ cases. A superb lawyer – charming, charismatic and effective”

The Legal 500, 2020

“Richard Reichman is a star of the future”

The Legal 500, 2020

“… extremely thorough and appreciates the big picture issues”

The Legal 500, 2019

Articles by Richard Reichman

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