Solicitor – Admitted 2003
“Having had the privilege of working with Benn on a number of matters over the years, I have always found Benn to be incredibly professional, knowledgeable and commercial when dealing with case matters. I consider Benn to be a valued and safe pair of hands who not only looks at each case on its own merits, but also considers the responsibilities and duties of Insolvency Practitioners on case matters.”
Maxine Reid-Roberts, Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, Quantuma Advisory
“Benn Richards is a dream to work with, possessing that rare combination of outstanding technical knowledge and commercial acumen. “
Adam Chichester-Clerk (Counsel, Three Stone)
“There are few solicitors practicing in his area of law who are as tenacious and determined. A real heavyweight.”
Justin Brown (Senior Clerk, Three Stone)
Overview
I am a Partner in the Restructuring & Insolvency team specialising in both contentious and non-contentious insolvency. I work closely with insolvency practitioners, creditors, lenders, corporate entities, charities, directors and other stakeholders.
I am a solicitor-advocate (all higher courts, civil and criminal) in both England and Wales, and I am also admitted to practice as a solicitor-advocate in the Eastern Caribbean Circuit.
I have significant experience acting on complex contentious matters, including acting on unlawful tax avoidance schemes, breach of duty claims against directors, cross-border insolvency issues, and acting on complex bankruptcy issues.
I have a depth of advisory experience and have recently advised on proposed Restructuring Plans under Part 26A of the Companies Act 2006; advised a large sports travel company on a joint-venture agreement in relation to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, and a social housing organisation on a solvent wind-down. I have significant experience in the not-for-profit sector having (among other things) led the insolvency advice on the pre-pack sale of 4Children (August 2016).
I am a member of the International Bar Association, am an appointed Officer of the Insolvency Committee and sit as the Vice-Chair on the Insolvent Financial Institutions Sub-committee. I also sit on the Consulting Editorial Board for Lexis PSL Restructuring and Insolvency, the LexisAsk panel for insolvency law, and am a contributor to the Jordans publication the Law of Legal Services.
I am the Training Principal at Michelmores, and have overall responsibility for Trainee Solicitors and Graduate Solicitor Apprentices.
Recent experience
Cross border:
Advising the founder, shareholder and significant creditor in disputed cross border restructuring of an AI company, with significant debts (over US $600m), which gave rise to multiple applications and contested proceedings in the Supreme Court of Bermuda.
Advising a UK large sports travel company on a joint-venture agreement in relation to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
Acting for a large group of Spanish creditors in relation to the UK administration of a time-share company, successfully seeking the removal and replacement of the administrators
Advising the Swiss liquidators of Swissair in various cross border applications: Schweizerische Luftverkehr-Aktiengesellschaft [2009] All ER (D) 153 (Aug)
Acting for Cayman liquidators to a Hedge Fund, which was a feeder fund to a well-known New York based “Ponzi scheme” on various cross border application and UK proceedings against a major clearing bank
Successfully obtaining judgment in the sum of €26m for English liquidators against a major Czech bank
Litigation:
Acting for the petitioning creditor in a complex bearer share dispute concern property in the Czech Republic (which included appointing provisional liquidators) – GBI Investments Limited ([2010] All ER (D) 171 (Jun))
Acting for numerous liquidators concerning claims for breach of duty, wrongful trading and other Insolvency/Company Act claims, including pursuing claims where unlawful tax avoidance schemes have been used.
Acting for stakeholders on a disputed Restructuring Plan
Acting for Joint Special Administrators on a collapsed Crypto-asset business
Acting for Administrations on a disputed administration of a crypto asset analytics business
Bankruptcy:
Acting for a significant creditor group on one of the UK’s largest every bankruptcies
Acting for joint trustees on a bankruptcy to recoup significant assets to the bankruptcy estate, which were dissipated pre-bankruptcy
Acting for the trustee in bankruptcy in Amin v Redbrige [2018] EWHC 3100 (Ch) – annulments and recessions of bankruptcy orders and costs orders
Acted for the trustee in bankruptcy on the issue of matrimonial settlements and bankruptcy Segal v Pasram [2007] All ER (D) 20 (Dec).
