Richard acts on a broad range of real estate matters and transactions in the charity, not-for-profit, heritage property and education sectors. 

Richard deals with acquisitions, disposals, landlord & tenant matters, development projects and re-financing. Richard also deals with the property aspects of charity mergers, incorporations and other restructuring, Charities Act compliance, Charity Commission consents, ecclesiastical matters and matters involving permanent endowment and trusts. In the education sector Richard has acted extensively for independent schools, academy trusts, maintained schools, foundation trusts, and further education colleges; dealing with standalone property transactions, restructuring projects, capital projects and Department for Education consents. 

Richard offers a personable yet commercial approach whilst providing pragmatic plain English advice on (often complex) property matters and issues.   

• Represented a national charity in the sale of a multi-million pound heritage property and former adult education college, tackling complex issues and hurdles involving VAT, Charities Act compliance and overage
• Acted for a national charity on the sale of the care home arm of its business
• Represented a foreign investor in its acquisition of a prestigious independent school in Manchester. Led on the property aspects of this complex transaction, dealing with matters such as negotiating an overage deed, rent charges, diocese covenants and consents, and multifaceted rent uplift provisions in a playing field lease and matters relating to the listed status of the building
• Assisted a non-profit multinational member protection organisation in the management of its freehold site in Leeds (granting leases and landlord consents), and acted on its granting of high value underleases in the Shard
• Frequently represent charities, non-profits and other occupiers in moving leasehold office premises, often advising on the vacation of the current premises (dealing with points such as break notices, dilapidations and repair obligations) and ensuring a smooth transition into the new premises whilst negotiating and completing the new lease (and any agreement for lease) and advising on fit-out works (including obtaining landlord consents)
• Acted for a charity created to restore a stately home, leasing part of the grounds to an opera charity to raise funds for renovation, and obtaining conditional planning permission as part of the process. This long-term project received considerable press coverage and also involved a development agreement for the construction of the opera theatre, s.106 agreements, a licence for use of the house/grounds, Highways Agreements and utilities leases
• Advised school foundation trusts on complex land issues arising out of the closure of voluntary aided and religious schools
• Acted for a foreign property investor on the redevelopment and tenanting of a grade 1 listed courthouse, involving high value leases, agreements for works and refinancing
• Acted for a Cathedral as part of its involvement in the sale of an independent school, including advising on its transition to charity status triggered by the Cathedrals Measure 2021
• Worked for several rural and agricultural land-owning charities and religious orders in the management of their estates, including easement disputes, farm business tenancies, financing matters and property aspects of restructuring

• Studied Law at the University of Manchester
• Studied the Legal Practice Course at the University of Law
• Qualified as a solicitor in September 2016 
• Trained and qualified at Stone King, working subsequently at Bates Wells 

• Charity Law Association
• Charities’ Property Association 

• Co-authored the LexisNexis Charities Acts Handbook
• Dissertation published in The Manchester Review of Law, Crime & Ethics (the University of Manchester law journal)