Richard is our Consultant in Mental Health and Community Care Law and Head of the Mental Health Law Team. He is the Author of the Mental Health Act Manual, the "Bible" of the Mental Health Act (14th edition 2011) and the Mental Capacity Act Manual (5th edition 2012). He is the General Editor of the Encyclopaedia of Social Services and Child Care Law and is a member of the Law Society’s Mental Health and Disability Committee. Among his public appointments, Richard has been a member of the Mental Health Act Commission and the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.

Richard’s expertise in mental health law is evidenced by the fact that he was appointed by Home Office and Department of Health ministers to be a member of the Government’s Mental Health Act 2007 Implementation Advisory Group.

Since 1997 Richard has been the firm’s Consultant in Mental Health and Community Care Law, exclusively providing our clients with specialist and quality advice. In that capacity he advises managers, Mental Health Act Administrators and clinicians on complex cases. Richard represents hospitals in cases before the Mental Health Review Tribunal and has undertaken audits of local authority and Trust policies and procedures to ensure that they comply with legal requirements.

Richard provides in-house training on mental health law throughout England and Wales.