Richard Fox

Richard handles post-termination disputes, severance arrangements, and team moves, including enforcement and negotiation of restrictive covenants, with experience spanning a range of industries.

• Acted for the chief engineer of a Formula 1 racing team moving from one team to another and dealt with associated post-termination restrictions.
• Acted for a printing company whose employee had left and had acted in breach of his post-termination restrictive covenants.
• Acted against the then Home Secretary on behalf of a very senior police officer in relation to his proposed removal from his post on performance grounds. At the time this was a matter that occupied the front page of the national newspapers and headlined on main TV channels such as the BBC.
• Acted for a top dealmaker in oil and gas on his transfer to become chairman of the global energy business of a top US investment bank.

Richard advises on claims brought before Employment Tribunals, including discrimination, unfair dismissal, harassment, and whistleblowing.

• Advised a transportation business against whom a claim was brought by one of its operatives who was on long-term sick leave of disability discrimination and a failure to make reasonable adjustments.
• Acted for a senior banker at a high-profile Asian bank who brought a claim of race discrimination whilst remaining as an employee at the bank up until the date his employment was terminated on terms agreed between the parties.
• Acted for the London office of an international law firm being accused of race discrimination by one of its employees.
• Acted for a substantial firm of accountants in defending claims of unfair dismissal and discrimination before the Employment Tribunal.

Richard acts in sensitive and high-stakes matters across financial services, including exits, discrimination claims, regulatory issues, disciplinary proceedings, team moves, and strategic disputes involving banks, asset managers, and fintech firms.

• Advised the UK office of a US-headquartered investment firm in respect of the failure of an individual to agree to be vaccinated.
• Acted for a team of asset managers moving from their present place of employment to set up their own independent firm together.
• Acted for a high-earning, senior and longstanding member of an investment management firm on the circumstances and terms of his departure, brought about by differences in opinion as to the correct investment strategy to be followed in the then current economic climate.
• Acted for a relationship manager at one of the UK’s largest banks. This was following the bank falling victim to a sophisticated scam as a result of which authority was given for significant transfers to be made which turned out to be fraudulent. Before the client took legal advice he had been subject to disciplinary proceedings and an adverse finding and sanction was applied. Advised on his appeal, which ultimately proved to be successful such that he was not then found to have acted in breach of FCA Conduct Rules.
• Acted for a senior employee at an international financial technology company, accused of serious sexual assault against a more junior employee.
• Acted for an independent Lloyd’s Broker on its acquisition of a team from another brokers.
• Acted for a senior banker at a high-profile Asian bank who brought a claim of race discrimination whilst remaining as an employee at the bank up until the date his employment was terminated on terms agreed between the parties.
• Advised a chief financial officer of a company under scrutiny by the FCA who was ousted from his position without notice, allegedly because he disagreed with the company’s strategy.

Richard handles contentious and advisory matters for professional services firms, including partner exits, discrimination claims, restrictive covenants, and internal disputes within law and accountancy firms, including the Big 4.

• Acted for the London office of an international law firm being accused of race discrimination by one of its employees.
• Acted for senior accountants/members of the LLP at a “Big 4” firm of accountants moving to other Big 4 accountancy firms in the UK.
• Acted for a substantial firm of accountants in defending claims of unfair dismissal and discrimination before the Employment Tribunal.
• Acted for a firm of solicitors in relation to their promotion policy and in relation to the position of a partner that was not working out economically for the firm.
• Acted for a partner/member of a LLP in a firm of solicitors in relation to a potential conflict of issue and in relation to her position with the LLP including potential exit strategy.
• Acted for a firm of solicitors in relation to an alleged breach of post-termination restrictive covenants by one of their former employees.

Recognised by Chambers UK for Employment: Employer and Employment: Senior Executives 2011–2026

Recognised by The Legal 500 as a Leading Partner for Employment: Senior Executives 2017–2026

Recognised by Best Lawyers UK for Employment 2025

Top Recommended Lawyer in The Spear’s 500 Employment Law Index 2023

President of the London Solicitors Litigation Association 2000–2002

Member of the Employment Lawyers Association – Deputy Chair 2010, ELA Chair 2012–2014, Chair of the Legislative and Policy Committee (the committee responsible for responding to Government on all consultations proposing new legislation on employment matters) 2008–2010