An Australian and Hong Kong admitted lawyer, Richard has assisted over 400 companies to enter the Chinese market, advising on their China operations and trade compliance issues.
He advises companies across a broad range of sectors, including agribusiness, manufacturing, healthcare, sports, entertainment, technology, and education; and his expertise covers strategic alliances and joint ventures in China and Asia more broadly, international trade, and intellectual property licensing. He also has a focus on data privacy and cybersecurity compliance in China, food labelling and food safety issues, and on customs and trade compliance issues generally.
In addition to his Asia-focused practice, Richard provides a broad range of commercial law services to clients on domestic operations.
Expertise
Richard’s areas of expertise include:
- Joint venture agreements, licensing and partnership agreements;
- Intellectual property registrations and patent and technology licensing;
- Regulatory advice for insurers and foreign banks;
- Healthcare, medical technology compliance and regulatory advice;
- Agribusiness, retail and food and beverage;
- Transportation and logistics providers;
- FDI and M&A advisory;
- Corporate liquidations and restructurings;
- Legal due diligence; and
- Enforcement of NYC arbitration awards.
Experience
Examples of Richard’s work include:
- advising an Australian statutory corporation in relation to China and Hong Kong trade compliance, as well as contractual arrangements and intellectual property licensing;
- acting for a national manufacturing and trading enterprise in the wool sector on M&A matters, on-going China compliance, and intellectual property issues such as technology transfer agreements and IP registrations;
- advising an international building products group on trading and warehousing contracts, China trade compliance, restructuring issues, and general intellectual property licensing issues in China; and
- a tier 1 education provider, which Richard has been advising in relation to several offshore education ventures.
Recognition
Richard is a CIETAC (China International Economic & Trade Arbitration Commission) appointed international arbitrator.
His recognition includes the 2017 Corporate International Magazine Global Award – Foreign Direct Investment Lawyer of the Year in China.
He has the following affiliations:
- The Australian and New Zealand Intellectual Property Society
- Member of Law Asia
- Member of Australian Agribusiness Association
- Hong Kong Australia Business Association
- Member of the Law Society of Hong Kong
- Member of the Transport Lawyers Association (United States)
- The Australian Chamber of Commerce (Shanghai)
Career
| 2021 (June) – current | Keypoint Law | Consulting Principal |
| 2017 – current | CIETAC | Arbitrator |
| 2017-2021 | Norman Waterhouse | Principal |
| 2007-2017 | RHK Legal | Managing Partner |
| 2010-2016 | Pacific Rim Interhold Limited | General Counsel |
| 2000-2005 | Stephenson Harwood | Shanghai Managing Partner |
| 1995-2005 | Sinclair Roche Temperley (Stephenson Harwood) | Partner |
| 1990-1992 | Hill Taylor Dickinson | Lawyer (London) |
| 1986-1989 | Phillips Fox (Ross McCarthy) | Lawyer (Adelaide) |