Jake Richards

Call: 2017

Jake Richards has a thriving practice in three core areas: civil litigation, public law and family law.

Jake is an already experienced advocate and accepts instructions to advise clients on paper, in conference and in drafting statements of case. He is a busy common-law practitioner, whose experience across different areas makes him a well-rounded lawyer.

Jake accepts direct access instructions and pro bono instructions where appropriate. He is able to work remotely and is experienced in holding hearings and conferences remotely.

Before coming to the bar, Jake worked in politics as a speechwriter and campaigner. He has appeared on the national media discussing law and policy, and regularly writes for journals and news outlets.


Expertise

Jake has built up considerable experience within healthcare law, dealing with complicated issues surrounding breach, causation, quantum and evidence regularly.

His expertise is wide-ranging. For example, he has been instructed in cases involving dental negligence, plastic surgery and psychological consequences, and complications during labour. He is currently instructed on a high-value claim regarding causation and the loss of fertility prospects. He regularly deals with complex expert evidence, with multiple experts across disciplines.

Jake has a particular experience advising healthcare clients. He represented Centurion Healthcare in a successful appeal against CQC decisions in the First Tier Tribunal regarding their registration as a service-provider (Centurion Healthcare Ltd v CQC [2018] 3264.EA) – one of only 6 successful appeals since 2016. He is an expert in relevant regulations and guidance, recent legal developments, and the practicalities for care providers. He is regularly sought after for advice for clients in the care sector.

He also advises and represents GP practices on issues ranging from breaches of confidence, contractual issues with NHS England and other regulatory disputes. He has represented practitioners in matters relating to a performers’ list, including a challenge to removal and conditions. He is able to offer legal advice on all aspects of their practice.

Jake has an academic interest in clinical negligence and has lectured previously on the issue of consent in clinical negligence cases post-Montgomery at the Association of Surgeon in Training.

Commercial disputes

Jake has experience of advising clients in commercial disputes across diverse sectors. Jake offers concise and clear legal advice, with an appreciation of the commercial practicalities facing clients. He also has experience of advising businesses navigating their regulatory responsibilities.

With a broad practice, Jake has particular experience in the following areas:

  • Contractual disputes
  • Professional negligence (solicitors, barristers, surveyors and more)
  • Consumer Law and the Consumer Rights Act 2015
  • Civil procedure
  • Commercial and residential property disputes
  • Party-wall disputes
  • Freezing injunction applications
  • Shareholder disputes
  • Employment issues (and has appeared in the EAT)
  • Enforcement proceedings by UK Border Force
  • Licensing
  • Costs
  • Probate claims
  • Regulatory and Disciplinary hearings (including police misconduct cases).

Jake works with clients on a direct access basis, where appropriate.

He has international experience. He has a client base in Spain, Italy, Dubai and was instructed to represent businesses in Brazil following the Bento Rodrigues Dam Disaster in 2015.

Inquests

Jake also accepts instructions for inquest work. Much of this is linked to failings by healthcare services. For example, he represented the family of a Mother who died from an overdose of prescription drugs and the family of an intravenous drug-user who died after alleged maltreatment.

His practice is broader, however. More recently, he represented a family (pro-bono) of a young autistic man who was murdered by a drug-dealer recently released from prison, with multiple alleged failings by the police, local government services and probation. He has recently been instructed by a family of a 17 year old boy who died in an amateur boxing fight. All these cases were reported in the national media.

Jake has a well-developed personal injury practice, representing claimants and defendants on the fast track, but increasingly, the Multi-Track. He has a busy paper-based practice, offering advice on liability and quantum in high-value claims. He represents clients at interlocutory hearings (CCMCs, applications etc) and at trial.

Jake is well-versed at analysing complicated medical evidence. For example, he recently agreed a settlement in a six-figure claim for an asylum seeker, after an accident involving multiple catastrophic injuries and complex psychological injuries, with numerous expert reports. He is currently advising on a complex fatal case due to housing disrepair leading to long-term chest conditions.

He has experience of the following areas:

  • Employer liability
  • Occupier liability
  • Public liability
  • RTA litigation
  • Holiday claims
  • Industrial disease
  • Housing disrepair
  • Noise induced hearing loss
  • Animal Act claims
  • Claims before the CICA

His experience in clinical negligence law means he is adept at handling medical evidence, and offering a rigorous analysis of expert evidence on the same.

Jake has experience of advising clients in commercial disputes across diverse sectors. Jake offers concise and clear legal advice, with an appreciation of the commercial practicalities facing clients. He also has experience of advising businesses navigating their regulatory responsibilities.

With a broad practice, Jake has particular experience in the following areas:

  • Contractual disputes
  • Professional negligence (solicitors, barristers, surveyors and more)
  • Consumer Law and the Consumer Rights Act 2015
  • Civil procedure
  • Commercial and residential property disputes
  • Party-wall disputes
  • Freezing injunction applications
  • Shareholder disputes
  • Employment issues (and has appeared in the EAT)
  • Enforcement proceedings by UK Border Force
  • Licensing
  • Costs
  • Probate claims

Regulatory and Disciplinary hearings (including police misconduct cases).
Jake works with clients on a direct access basis, where appropriate.

He has international experience. He has a client base in Spain, Italy, Dubai and was instructed to represent businesses in Brazil following the Bento Rodrigues Dam Disaster in 2015.

Jake represents Local Authorities, parents and Guardians in public family proceedings. He has been instructed in cases involving a skull fracture to a new-born baby and other NAI allegations, induced illness (reports of sexual abuse that were found to have been fabricated), and cases involving cross-jurisdictional considerations. Jake’s experience of deconstructing medical evidence in a civil sphere means he is adept at analysing such evidence for family matters.

Jake acts on behalf of clients in matrimonial financial litigation. He is well-versed in claims under TOLATA and the Matrimonial Causes Act 1925. He also represents parents in private children disputes, when there are, for example, allegations of violence, abuse or parental alienation. He has extensive experience of such proceedings in an Islamic context.

Jake has a particular interest in international family law and has appeared in cases with jurisdictional issues involving cross-border abductions, human trafficking and forced marriage protections orders. He was awarded the Pegasus Scholarship to explore international surrogacy law in India in 2019.

Jake has also represented children subject to applications for the deprivation of their liberty and is eager to build this aspect of his practice.

Jake is building a public law practice, representing claimants as well as acting for local government, Whitehall departments and regulators.

He is currently instructed on a claim for judicial review of government policy relating to prison visits during COVID-19 pandemic and the alleged breaches of children of prisoners’ human rights. In his early years as a tenant, Jake was instructed by the Home Office in immigration matters, whilst also successfully acting for an Applicant family before the Immigration Upper Tribunal.

He has written widely on public law matters, and contributed to submissions to the Government’s review into administrative law and the Human Rights Act 1998.

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Regulated by the Bar Standards Board (BSB)

Regulated by the Bar Standards Board (BSB) and holds a current practising certificate. To see my privacy notice click here.

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