Richard Mott

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Richard Mott

Barrister

Call 2006

Richard Mott has a broad practice in commercial litigation and international arbitration (inc. LCIA, ICC and UNCITRAL rules). He has a particular focus on cases concerning civil fraud, banking and finance, energy, and general commercial disputes.

He also has significant experience of seeking and resisting injunctive relief, and of jurisdiction challenges.

Richard is currently acting, amongst other cases: as lead advocate (leading William Harman) for the claimants in a substantial (over £100m) high-profile shareholder class action against a leading fashion retailer; for one of the claimant groups (led by Andrew Onslow KC, and leading Usman Roohani and William Birch) in the market-leading shareholder class action against Glencore Plc; and as lead advocate (leading Lauren Hitchman) for the Liberal Democrats in a dispute with a former senior member.

Richard has recently acted: with Camilla Bingham KC and James MacDonald KC for Morgan Stanley in Frasers v Morgan Stanley, resisting a substantial high-profile claim (4 week trial in Spring 2024); with Anna Boase KC in Mahtani v Atlas Mara, successfully resisting claims of over $100m arising out of a Zambian bank’s sale (4 week trial in late 2023; [2024] EWHC 218 (Comm)); in the Court of Appeal (leading Harry Stratton) for the successful appellants in Gorbachev v Guriev [2023] 1 WLR 2457; with Camilla Bingham KC, in heavy, linked Commercial Court and ICC arbitration proceedings in relation to a high-value stake in a Mexican online gambling company; with Camilla Bingham KC, for the claimant in proceedings commenced in Bermuda arising out of an alleged unlawful means conspiracy to appropriate an interest in an African metals mine, claiming hundreds of millions of dollars (1-week jurisdiction challenge in Summer 2023); and for the Financial Conduct Authority, in three confidential Enforcement cases involving alleged dishonesty and lack of integrity in relation to the pensions sector.

  • Examples of Recent Cases

    • Agency

      • New England Technical Services Ltd v Sanmina-SCI Corporation
        Acting (with Sa’ad Hossain KC) for the claimant in relation to a substantial claim under various provisions of the Commercial Agents (Council Directive) Regulations 1993.
      • Acting for a German commercial agent in a dispute with its principal, an English fair trade clothing company.
      • Advising (with Sa’ad Hossain KC) an electronics company on its rights under the Commercial Agents (Council Directive) Regulations 1993.
      • Advising a Dutch clothing company on liability and quantum under the Commercial Agents (Council Directive) Regulations 1993.
    • Arbitration

      • ICC Arbitration
        Acting (with Camilla Bingham KC) for a listed online gambling company, resisting a campaign to appropriate its 49% stake in a Mexican gaming company worth over £1.8 billion.
      • ICC Arbitration
        Acting (with Anna Boase KC and Michelle Menashy) for an African banking group, advancing a claim for more than US$330 million. Appeared as sole counsel at the Case Management Conference to determine the format of the arbitral proceedings.
      • ICC Arbitration 
        Acting (as sole counsel) for a well-known expert advisory and consultancy firm, claiming a large amount from a leading ratings agency in respect of the provision of expert services in high-value litigation.
      • LCIA Proceedings
        Acting (with David Wolfson KC and Gideon Cohen) in a dispute between the principal shareholders in one of the world’s largest aluminium companies, relating to two multi-billion dollar transactions. The claim raised numerous issues of contract, company and economic tort law, as well as complex factual and expert issues.
      • LCIA Proceedings
        Acting (with Daniel Toledano KC) for a Dubai-based telecommunications firm in relation to a joint venture for the provision of wireless communications services in the Gulf region, claiming against its joint venture partner for breach of contract and unlawful means conspiracy.
      • LCIA Proceedings
        Acting (with Daniel Toledano KC) in respect of a claim arising under a terminated FX derivative contract.
      • UNCITRAL Proceedings
        Acting (with Richard Boulton KC) in respect of an insurance claim by a multi-national commodities group under a fidelity policy.
      • LCIA Proceedings
        Acting (with David Wolfson KC and Benjamin Strong) in respect of a claim arising under a terminated FX derivative contract arising under a terminated FX derivative contract
    • Banking and Finance

      Richard frequently advises on various types of derivatives governed by the 1992 and 2002 ISDA Master Agreements, covering issues such as contravention of local law and other potential Events of Default, the calculation of Loss and other consequences of default.

      • Frasers Group Plc v (1) Saxo Bank Plc & (2) Morgan Stanley & Co International Plc
        Acting (with Camilla Bingham KC and James MacDonald KC) for Morgan Stanley, resisting a £55 million claim that it conspired unlawfully to force the close out the Claimant’s share options in Hugo Boss in May 2021, motivated by a personal dislike of Mike Ashley (the owner of the Claimant). A 4-week trial took place in February 2024; the case settled after the completion of trial but before judgment.
      • Mahtani & Ors v Atlas Mara Ltd & African Banking Corporation Zambia Limited
        Acting (with Anna Boase KC) for the successful Defendants (an international banking group) which were sued for over US$100 million by the claimants (the former owners of a Zambian bank which they sold to the Defendants). A 4-week trial took place in November 2023, at which Richard conducted the cross-examination of some factual and expert witnesses. The claim failed on all grounds: [2024] EWHC 218 (Comm).
      • Lopesan Touristik SA v Apollo European Principal Finance Fund
        Acting (with Laurence Rabinowitz KC and leading Michael Watkins) for the Defendants to a €93 million claim under an Equity Commitment Letter arising out of the collapse of the sale of a Spanish hotel. The Defendants successfully resisted the Claimant’s attempt to expedite the proceedings ([2020] EWHC 2642 (Comm) and [2020] EWHC 2829 (Comm)). Trial of certain preliminary issues took place in April 2021: [2021] EWHC 2141 (Comm).
      • Eurosail-UK 2007-4BL Plc & Ors v Wilmington Trust SP Services (London) Ltd & Anr
        Acting (as sole counsel) for the defendant corporate trustee, resisting an allegedly vexatious attack on a mortgage securitisation structure.
      • World First UK Ltd v Newstar Garments Ltd
        Acting (as sole counsel) for the claimant financial company, seeking to enforce a close out amount of c.£1.8 million and resist a counterclaim for £4.4 million arising out of the alleged misselling of FX derivatives throughout a four year period.
      • Euro Pacific Card Services Ltd v.  Prepaid Financial Services Ltd
        Acting (as sole counsel) for the claimant international banking group, claiming damages arising out of the wrongful termination of a pre-paid debit card processing agreement.
      • Lehman Brothers International (Europe) (in administration) v ExxonMobil Financial Services BV [2016] EWHC 2699 (Comm)
        Acting (with Rhodri Davies KC) for the claimant company in administration, claiming significant sums from its counterparty to a securities repo. The judgment of Blair J is now the leading authority on the Global Master Repurchase Agreement (a market standard agreement which governs repo contracts worth many trillions of dollars at any given time), and in particular on the correct interpretation and application of its default valuation provisions.
      • Lamerdo Shipping Co Ltd v The Royal Bank of Scotland
        Acting (as sole counsel) for RBS, defending a claim for breach of a facility agreement in the context of a sub-participation and subsequent elevation.
      • Mercuria Energy Trading Pte Ltd & Anr v Citigroup Global Markets Ltd and Citibank N.A. [2015] 1 CLC 999
        Acting (with Daniel Toledano KC and leading Oliver Butler) for the defendants, resisting a claim for declaratory relief and counterclaiming for c.$270 million under a series of repo transactions. The proceedings arose out of a substantial metals fraud alleged to have taken place in China, and raised numerous issues of banking law and sale of goods law.
      • Barclays Bank Plc v Svizera Holdings BV & Anr
        Acting (as sole counsel) for Barclays Bank Plc in a $38 million claim against an Indian pharmaceuticals group under a Facility Agreement. As a result of developments during proceedings, obtained a worldwide freezing order against the defendants.
    • Civil Fraud

      • Various Claimants v A Leading Fashion Retailer (proceedings issued but not yet served)
        Acting as lead advocate (leading William Harman) for the claimants, advancing a claim for over £100 million under s.90A of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 against a leading fashion retailer, alleging misleading statements and dishonest non-disclosures to the market in relation to unlawful practices and working conditions in its supply chain.
      • AML Creditor Recovery Vehicle PTC v Shandong Iron & Steel Group Co Ltd & Ors
        Acting (led by Camilla Bingham KC) for the claimant creditor recovery vehicle, advancing claims for hundreds of millions of dollars arising out of the appropriation of an iron ore mine in Sierra Leone. A 1-week jurisdiction hearing occurred in July 2023, which is now subject to appeal.
      • Frasers Group Plc v (1) Saxo Bank Plc & (2) Morgan Stanley & Co International Plc
        Acting (with Camilla Bingham KC and James MacDonald KC) for Morgan Stanley, resisting a £55 million claim that it conspired unlawfully to force the close out the Claimant’s share options in Hugo Boss in May 2021, motivated by a personal dislike of Mike Ashley (the owner of the Claimant). A 4-week trial took place in February 2024; the case settled after the completion of trial but before judgment
      • ED&F Man Capital Markets Ltd v Straits Financial Group Pte Ltd & Anr
        Acting (with Lord Wolfson KC) for the Defendant members of a large Singaporean corporate group, alleged to be vicariously liable for the participation of an employee in a large international fraud worth US$280 million.
      • The Tesco Profit Overstatement litigation 
        Acting (with Neil Kitchener KC and leading Simon Gilson) for 58 institutional investors claiming over £440 million from Tesco Plc in respect of its profit overstatement revealed in Autumn 2014. The claim was made under s.90A of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, and alleged fraudulent misrepresentations by Tesco senior management and their subordinates. The proceedings generated a string of reported judgments ([2019] EWHC 109 (Ch), [2019] EWHC 2858 (Ch), [2019] EWHC 3312 (Ch)), including one from a 4-day hearing where Richard appeared as the lead advocate ([2019] EWHC 3315 (Ch)). The judgment on the correct legal analysis of the intermediated securities market ([2019] EWHC 2858 (Ch)) had significant repercussions.
      • Berkeley Square Holdings Ltd v Lancer Property Asset Management Ltd
        Acting (with Adrian Beltrami KC, and leading Oscar Schonfeld and Sarah Tulip) for the Defendants to fraud and bribery claims arising out of the management of a c.£6 billion London property portfolio ultimately owned by the President of the United Arab Emirates. The proceedings generated an important judgment of general importance on the exceptions to without prejudice privilege ([2020] EWHC 1015 (Ch), upheld by the Court of Appeal at [2021] EWCA Civ 551) and several interlocutory judgments on issues such as “control” for the purposes of disclosure: [2021] EWHC 849 (Ch), [2021] EWHC 818 (Ch) and [2021] EWHC 750 (Ch).
      • JD Classics Ltd (in administration) v Hood and Goddard
        Acting (with David Cavender KC) for Mr Goddard, who is alleged to have dishonestly assisted and helped to conceal a huge fraud at one of England’s largest classic car dealers and is sued for over £50m. The claim settled prior to trial.
      • Arcadia Petroleum Ltd & Ors v Bosworth & Ors [2017] EWHC 3160 (Comm)
        Acting (with Steven Thompson KC) for the Sixth Defendant to high-profile, c.$330 million fraud proceedings arising out of West African oil trading. The litigation has already generated several reported judgments.
      • Ras Al Khaimah Investment Authority v Azima
        Acting (with Daniel Toledano KC) for a high-profile individual, resisting allegations of bad faith arising out of the sale of the Sheraton Hotel in Tbilisi, Georgia, and a proposed joint venture for the provision of reconnaissance and surveillance services.
      • Ivanbridge Company Corporation v Dessi & Anr
        Acting (with Sa’ad Hossain KC) for the defendants/respondents to a claim for misappropriation of substantial trust assets and an accompanying freezing order. Applied to discharge the freezing order; the claim settled before that application was heard.
      • Prestige Carriages Ltd v Elite Sports Cars Ltd & Anr
        Acting for the claimant, obtaining ex parte delivery up, preservation and information orders in relation to a fleet of luxury cars.
      • Tidewater Marine International Inc v PhoenixTide Offshore Nigeria Ltd & Ors [2015] EWHC 2748 (Comm)
        Acting (with Sa’ad Hossain KC) for the individuals behind a Nigerian oil and gas services company, defending equitable and economic tort claims against them alleging that they had dishonestly assisted their company’s breach of trust and procured its breach of a mandatory English court order.
      • Sloane House Ltd v Fleury & Ors
        Acting for the claimant, seeking to recover losses from fraud and the receipt of secret commissions in the context of a substantial construction project. Richard made multiple ex parte applications for freezing, asset disclosure, computer imaging, evidence preservation and passport delivery up orders. Richard then (with David Cavender KC) defended an application to discharge the freezing injunction; obtained summary judgment; and committed the defendant to prison for 9 months.
    • Commercial Litigation

      • Frasers Group Plc v Saxo Bank Plc and Morgan Stanley & Co International Plc
        Acting (with Camilla Bingham KC and James MacDonald KC) for Morgan Stanley, resisting a £55 million claim that it conspired unlawfully to force the close out the Claimant’s share options in Hugo Boss in May 2021, motivated by a personal dislike of Mike Ashley (the owner of the Claimant). A 4-week trial took place in February 2024; the case settled after the completion of trial but before judgment.
      • Mahtani & Ors v Atlas Mara Ltd & African Banking Corporation Zambia Limited
        Acting (with Anna Boase KC) for the successful Defendants (an international banking group) which were sued for over US$100 million by the claimants (the former owners of a Zambian bank which they sold to the Defendants). A 4-week trial took place in November 2023, at which Richard conducted the cross-examination of some factual and expert witnesses. The claim failed on all grounds: [2024] EWHC 218 (Comm).
      • Woolgar v Newpoint Capital & Guarantee Ltd
        Acting (as sole advocate) for the claimant at trial, successfully claiming £1.6 million due under a contract. The claimant made various allegations of forgery and falsification of corporate documents, all of which were found to have been proven at trial.
      • PT Services Malta Ltd v Tecnologia Entretenimiento Caliplay, SAPI de CV
        Acting (with Camilla Bingham KC) for the claimant member of the Playtech group, in dispute with its contractual partner over the issue of whether a high-value redemption right remained valid and exercisable.
      • Lopesan Touristik SA v Apollo European Principal Finance Fund
        Acting (with Laurence Rabinowitz KC and leading Michael Watkins) for the Defendants to a €93m claim under an Equity Commitment Letter arising out of the collapse of the sale of a Spanish hotel. The Defendants successfully resisted the Claimant’s attempt to expedite the proceedings ([2020] EWHC 2642 (Comm) and [2020] EWHC 2829 (Comm)). Trial of certain preliminary issues took place in April 2021: [2021] EWHC 2141 (Comm).
      • ​The Tesco Profit Overstatement litigation
        Acting (with Neil Kitchener KC and leading Simon Gilson) for 58 institutional investors claiming over £440 million from Tesco Plc in respect of its profit overstatement revealed in Autumn 2014. The claim was made under s.90A of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, and alleged fraudulent misrepresentations by Tesco senior management and their subordinates. The proceedings generated a string of reported judgments ([2019] EWHC 109 (Ch), [2019] EWHC 2858 (Ch), [2019] EWHC 3312 (Ch)), including one from a 4-day hearing where Richard appeared as the lead advocate ([2019] EWHC 3315 (Ch)). The judgment on the correct legal analysis of the intermediated securities market ([2019] EWHC 2858 (Ch)) had significant repercussions.
      • EML Payments European Holdings Ltd v Moran & Ors
        Acting (as sole counsel) for the Defendants, seeking deferred earn-out consideration and resisting claims for breach of warranty alleged to be worth tens of millions of pounds.
      • Go Science Ltd (in liquidation) v Shell International Exploration and Production BV & Ors
        Acting (with David Wolfson KC) for the Defendant multinational group, defending a claim for US$87 million. The claimants allege a long-running conspiracy by the Shell Group and other related parties to harm the claimant through repeated breaches of financing and investment agreements and wrongful refusals to purchase shares and loan notes.
      • World First UK Ltd v Newstar Garments Ltd
        Acting (as sole counsel) for the claimant financial company, seeking to enforce a close out amount of c.£1.8 million and resist a counterclaim for c.£4.4 million arising out of the alleged misselling of FX derivatives.
      • Cruz City 1 Mauritius Holdings Ltd v Unitech Ltd & Ors
        Acting (with Simon Colton KC) for the claimant in relation to various international enforcement proceedings. Intervened on behalf of the claimant to ensure that assets susceptible to enforcement were not dissipated in English litigation, and advised on steps to be taken in the Isle of Man, Cyprus and India.
      • Blackstar Advisors Ltd v Cheyne Capital International Ltd & Anr
        Acting (with David Wolfson KC) for the claimant in proceedings for recovery of substantial historic and ongoing fees arising out of the introduction of financial investors to fund managers.
      • Lehman Brothers International (Europe) (in administration) v ExxonMobil Financial Services BV [2016] EWHC 2699 (Comm)
        Acting (with Rhodri Davies KC) for the claimant company in administration, claiming significant sums from its counterparty to a securities repo. The judgment of Blair J is now the leading authority on the Global Master Repurchase Agreement (a market standard agreement which governs repo contracts worth many trillions of dollars at any given time), and in particular on the correct interpretation and application of its default valuation provisions.
      • Mercuria Energy Trading Pte Ltd & Anr v Citigroup Global Markets Ltd and Citibank N.A. [2015] 1 CLC 999
        Acting (with Daniel Toledano KC and Oliver Butler) for the defendants, resisting a claim for declaratory relief and counterclaiming for c.$270 million under a series of repo transactions. The proceedings arose out of a substantial metals fraud alleged to have taken place in China, and raised numerous issues of banking law and sale of goods law.
    • Company and Insolvency

      • Confidential Arbitration
        Acting (as sole counsel) for a major sports club, alleging that one of its directors was guilty of leaking confidential information and otherwise breaching his fiduciary duties. The case settled the evening before a 4-day hearing.
      • LCIA Arbitration 
        Acting (with David Wolfson KC and Gideon Cohen) in a dispute between the principal shareholders in one of the world’s largest aluminium companies, relating to two multi-billion dollar transactions (LCIA Rules). The claim raised numerous issues of contract, company and economic tort law, as well as complex factual and expert issues.
      • Weavering Capital (UK) Ltd (in liquidation) v Peterson & Ors [2013] EWCA Civ 71
        Appearing in the Court of Appeal (as sole Counsel) for one of claimant hedge fund’s former directors, challenging the trial Judge’s findings of breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract and negligence arising out of the high-profile collapse of Weavering Capital due to the fraud of its CEO.
      • James C Penny (Estate Agents) Ltd v James Penny & Ors
        Acting (as sole counsel) for the claimant company against its former managers who were alleged to have deprived it of substantially the whole of its business. Claims included breach of fiduciary duty, breach of confidence, passing off and conversion. Obtained substantial pre-action injunctive relief.
    • Energy and Natural Resources

      • Go Science Ltd (in liquidation) v Shell International Exploration and Production BV & Ors
        Acting (with David Wolfson KC) for the Defendant multinational oil and gas companies, defending a claim for US$87 million.
      • Clermont Energy Partners LLP v SDP Services Ltd
        Acting (with David Wolfson KC) for an oilfield services company in respect of dealings with two Nigerian oil blocks.
      • Tullow Uganda Ltd v Heritage Oil and Gas Ltd & Anr [2013] EWHC 1656 (Comm); [2014] EWCA Civ 1048
        Acting (with David Wolfson KC) for the claimant in a $313m claim concerning various petroleum exploration and development rights. The claim resulted in a 3-week Commercial Court trial and a two day Court of Appeal hearing.
      • Advising an oil company on its rights under a sale and purchase agreement.
      • Tidewater Marine International Inc v PhoenixTide Offshore Nigeria Ltd & Ors
        Acting (with Sa’ad Hossain KC) for the individuals behind a Nigerian oil and gas services company.
      • Rockover Energy Ltd & Ors v Les Etablissements Maurel et Prom S.A.
        Acting (as sole counsel) for the claimants, which had sold their rights in two petroleum exploration areas in Gabon to the defendant oil company.
      • ICC Arbitration 
        Advising (as sole counsel) one of the world’s largest engineering and electronics companies in an arbitral claim against one of the world’s largest natural gas companies.
    • Financial Services and Regulatory Law

      • Three sets of linked Enforcement proceedings
        Acting (as sole counsel) for the Enforcement team of the Financial Conduct authority, successfully advancing Enforcement’s case for prohibition and financial orders before the RDC.
      • Financial Conduct Authority v Tinney [2019] UKUT 0227 (TCC) 
        Acting (with Benjamin Strong KC and as sole advocate) for the Authority in high-profile Upper Tribunal proceedings seeking to uphold and extend the prohibition and public censure orders made by the Authority against a former senior Barclays banker for lack of integrity.
      • World First UK Limited v Newstar Garments Ltd
        Acting (as sole counsel) for the claimant financial company, seeking to enforce a close out amount of c.£1.8 million and resist a counterclaim for c.£4.4 million arising out of the alleged misselling of FX derivatives in breach of various COBS obligations.
      • Acting for the FCA (with Rory Phillips KC) in relation to The Prudential Assurance Company Ltd’s domestication of its long-term insurance business carried on in Hong Kong.
      • Advising the FSA (with Ian Glick KC) on the rights and interests of with-profits policyholders in the with-profits fund of proprietary and mutual insurance companies.
      • Advising the FSA (with Ian Glick KC) on the FSA’s rule-making powers in relation to the with-profits fund of a proprietary life insurance company.
      • Advising two structured product issuers (with Daniel Toledano KC) on their compliance with the FSA’s rules on financial promotion.
    • Group Litigation

      • Various Claimants v A Leading Fashion Retailer (proceedings issued but not yet served)
        Acting as lead advocate (leading William Harman) for the claimants, advancing a claim of over £100 million under s.90A FSMA against a leading fashion retailer, alleging misleading statements and dishonest non-disclosures to the market in relation to unlawful practices and working conditions in its supply chain.
      • Various Claimants v Glencore Plc & Ors
        Acting for one of the claimant groups (with Andrew Onslow KC, and leading Usman Roohani and William Birch) in the market-leading shareholder class action against Glencore Plc. Richard’s clients alone claim hundreds of millions of pounds. The claims centre on allegations (in some cases, admitted) of unlawful conduct by Glencore’s subsidiaries in multiple countries around the globe, and alleged false statements and dishonest non-disclosures to the market by Glencore in relation to the same.
      • The Tesco Profit Overstatement litigation
        Acting (with Neil Kitchener KC and leading Simon Gilson) for 58 institutional investors claiming over £440 million from Tesco Plc in respect of its profit overstatement revealed in Autumn 2014. The claim was made under s.90A of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, and alleged fraudulent misrepresentations by Tesco senior management and their subordinates. The proceedings generated a string of reported judgments ([2019] EWHC 109 (Ch), [2019] EWHC 2858 (Ch), [2019] EWHC 3312 (Ch)), including one from a 4-day hearing where Richard appeared as the lead advocate ([2019] EWHC 3315 (Ch)). The judgment on the correct legal analysis of the intermediated securities market ([2019] EWHC 2858 (Ch)) had significant repercussions.
      • Rowe & Ors v Ingenious Media Holdings Plc & Or
        Acting (as sole counsel) for one of the main IFAs which advised on the products which gave rise to the Ingenious group litigation. Appearing at a heavy case management conference, Richard successfully resisted his client’s designation as a “test defendant”, thereby relieving it from the need to participate actively in the main body of the proceedings.
    • Injunctions and Interim Relief

      • Air Arabia PJSC v Arif Masood Naqvi
        Acting (as sole counsel) for the applicant, obtaining permission to enforce three DIAC arbitral awards in England and a supporting worldwide freezing injunction in the sum of £185 million.
      • Holdcroft Properties Ltd & Anr v Goodwin Steel Casings Ltd
        Acting (as sole counsel) for the respondent foundry, successfully resisting the vast bulk of an application for pre-action disclosure and the taking of samples from the respondent’s property.
      • Hayes v Liberal Democrats
        Acting (as sole counsel) for the respondent political party, successfully resisting an American Cyanamid injunction seeking the reinstatement of a former senior Party member: [2022] EWHC 2508.
      • Red Fort Capital Inc v Lockton Companies LLP
        Acting (as sole counsel) for the Respondent international insurer, resisting a pre-action disclosure application in the context of fraud allegations: [2022] EWHC 2869 (Comm).
      • Terre Neuve SARL v HSBC Bank Plc
        Acting (as sole counsel) for the claimant. Obtained an urgent Norwich Pharmacal / Bankers Trust order so that those responsible for misappropriation of c.€9 million could be identified.
      • Arcadia Petroleum Ltd & Ors v Bosworth & Ors [2017] EWHC 3160 (Comm)
        Acting (with Steven Thompson KC) for the Sixth Defendant to high-profile, c.$330 million fraud proceedings arising out of West African oil trading. Applied to discharge the freezing order on a variety of grounds.
      • Barclays Bank Plc v Svizera Holdings BV & Anr
        Obtaining (as sole counsel) a worldwide freezing order in the sum of $38 million, during the course of ongoing proceedings.
      • GIA v Law and Anr
        Acting (as sole counsel) for the applicant, obtaining search and computer imaging orders in a misuse of confidential information and misappropriation of assets case.
      • Sloane House Ltd v Fleury & Ors
        Obtaining (as sole counsel) on multiple occasions freezing, asset disclosure, computer imaging, evidence preservation and passport delivery up orders.
      • Tidewater Marine International Inc v PhoenixTide Offshore Nigeria Ltd & Ors
        Acting (with Sa’ad Hossain KC) for the individual respondents to a worldwide freezing order in respect of their application to vary the order and permit access to substantial sums held in Switzerland (reported at [2015] EWHC 2748 (Comm)), and in respect of their applications challenging jurisdiction and seeking the discharge of the freezing order.
      • Prestige Carriages Ltd v Elite Sports Cars Ltd & Anr
        Obtaining (as sole counsel) urgent delivery up, preservation and information orders in relation to a fleet of luxury cars.
      • Jackson Lifts v Billingsley
        Acting (as sole counsel) for the claimant. Obtained an urgent Norwich Pharmacal order against a senior employee
    • Jurisdiction and Conflict of Laws

      • AML Creditor Recovery Vehicle PTC v Shandong Iron & Steel Group Co Ltd & Ors
        Acting (with Camilla Bingham KC) for the claimant creditor recovery vehicle, advancing claims for hundreds of millions of dollars arising out of the appropriation of an iron ore mine. A complex 1-week jurisdiction hearing occurred in July 2023, which is now subject to appeal.
      • ED&F Man Capital Markets Ltd v Straits Financial Group Pte Ltd & Anr
        Acting (with Lord Wolfson KC) for the Defendant members of a large Singaporean corporate group, alleged to be vicariously liable for the participation of an employee in a large international fraud worth US$280 million. Jurisdiction challenge issued on multiple grounds; the claim settled prior to the hearing of that challenge.
      • Lopesan Touristik SA v Apollo European Principal Finance Fund
        Acting (with Laurence Rabinowitz KC and Michael Watkins) for the Defendants, applying a stay under Article 30 of Brussels Recast in the context of successfully resisting the Claimant’s attempt to expedite the proceedings ([2020] EWHC 2642 (Comm) and [2020] EWHC 2829 (Comm)).
      • Tidewater Marine International Inc v PhoenixTide Offshore Nigeria Ltd & Ors [2015] EWHC 2748 (Comm)
        Acting (with Sa’ad Hossain KC) for the individual defendants in respect of their applications challenging jurisdiction on the basis of foreign governing law.
      • Bullimore v Northern and Western Insurance Company
        Acting (as sole counsel) for the Caribbean-domiciled defendant contesting English jurisdiction. The application involved numerous conflict of laws and jurisdiction issues and culminated in a 1-day hearing.
      • New England Technical Services Ltd v Sanmina-SCI Corporation
        Acting (with Sa’ad Hossain KC) for the claimant in relation to permission to serve out of the jurisdiction, relying on the mandatory application of the Commercial Agents (Council Directive) Regulations 1993.
      • Advising (with David Wolfson KC) foreign introducing agents in respect of jurisdiction and conflict of laws issues arising in respect of their tortious and contractual claims against a number of European financial institutions and individuals.
  • What the Directories Say

    "Richard Mott is terrific. He is very user-friendly, intelligent and creative. He's at the forefront of securities litigation." "Richard is excellent. He's very good, very helpful and a very good oral advocate." (Chambers & Partner 2025, Banking & Finance)

    "Richard is an awesome team player, who is very collaborative and very responsive." "Very strong technically, extremely diligent and great to work with."  (Chambers & Partners 2025, Commercial Dispute Resolution)

    "Richard is terrific - very user-friendly, intelligent and creative." "Richard comes up with lots of new ideas and angles, and is a really valuable member of the team." (Chambers & Partner 2025, Civil Fraud)

    “Richard Mott is intellectually very sound, pragmatic and he drafts well. He's just somebody who rolls his sleeves up and gets on it with it.”(Chambers & Partner 2024, Banking & Finance)

    "Richard Mott shows great attention to detail, and is both tactical in his thinking and strategic in his advice." (Chambers & Partners 2024, Commercial Dispute Resolution)

    "Richard Mott writes very effectively." (Chambers & Partners 2024, Commercial Dispute Resolution)

    "He's got a very strong future. He's intellectually very sound, pragmatic and drafts well." (Chambers & Partner 2024, Civil Fraud)

    "Richard is strategic and tactical in his advice, with great attention to detail. He has a great manner and delivery of his advice." (Chambers & Partner 2024, Civil Fraud)

    "He is very good: very precise, measured, clear and persuasive." (Chambers & Partner 2024, Civil Fraud)

    'Excellent intellect, great judgement, great at keeping solicitors informed and proactively updating on timing, great with clients, very adept at going through voluminous materials.’ (Legal 500 2024, Banking & Finance)

    Richard has a superb sense for how disputes will develop and the tactical considerations at play”, "he is always looking to come up with a new angle to assist the client”; and “his energy and good humour was vital to getting the clients to trust him. He is an innovative thinker and a pleasure to work with”. (Chambers and Partners 2023, Commercial Dispute Resolution, Banking & Finance, and Fraud)

    Richard is a blessing to the team. He rolls his sleeves up, has tenacious grasp of the facts, is strategic and considered in his outlook. He's personally very pleasant to work with and fantastic in ability. His advocacy is precise, focused and highly effective”. (Legal 500 2023, Banking & Finance and Civil Fraud)

    Has a huge brain and is exceptionally good on strategy and tactics. He has a very good eye for pressure tactics in litigation, which clients really appreciate. He also drafts very eloquently”. (Chambers & Partner 2022, Commercial Dispute Resolution)

    He is excellent. He has a super work ethic and a real talent for putting a case persuasively both in writing and on his feet” and “He is very reliable, creative and a tenacious junior”. (Chambers & Partner 2022, Banking & Finance)

    "He is good on strategy and at getting on top of the facts. He's also a very good draftsman”; “He's all over the detail, very knowledgeable, user-friendly, practical and incredibly hard-working”.(Chambers & Partner 2022, Civil Fraud)

    Richard is "A brilliant strategic thinker. Always makes himself available and is ready to roll his sleeves up(Legal 500 2022, Civil Fraud)

    "As well as being a great tactician, he is all over the detail of a case(Legal 500 2022, Banking & Finance)

    Over the last few years the directories have recommended him as “a smooth advocate with a very compelling style”, “very collaborative and fiercely bright”, and “a confident junior who is undaunted by handling complex and lengthy hearings in fraud matters against silks'”.

  • Education

    [2000 - 2003] Christ's College, Cambridge: BA, History (First Class)
    [2004 - 2005] City University: CPE (Commendation)
    [2005 - 2006] Inns of Court School of Law: BVC (Outstanding)

Latest

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Commercial Court considers meaning of an obligation to “act reasonably”

Following a 5 week trial in late 2023, the Commercial Court has today dismissed claims that the African...

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Court of Appeal determines novel issue of costs of jurisdictional challenge

On 28 March 2023, the Court of Appeal handed down judgment in Gorbachev v Guriev [2023] EWCA Civ 327....

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High Court considers approach to interim injunctions in “political” cases

In the context of rejecting an application for an interim injunction, the High Court has recently clarified...

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When is there prejudice in speaking “without prejudice”? Exceptions to the without prejudice principle

Lawyers instinctively rely on the without prejudice principle as broad and bulletproof. But there are...

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