Richard Bell

Profil complet

Richard is a dispute resolution partner and divides his time between the Abu Dhabi and Riyadh offices.  He has recently returned to the middle east after spending four years in the Shanghai office where he was head of the dispute resolution team in China.

Richard's specialist areas of expertise is acting as a "trouble shooter" assisting clients with urgent, difficult or politically sensitive cases in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.  His client base includes  international manufacturing companies, real estate developers, commodities traders and investment companies with trading and investment interests in the middle east.

Richard frequently acts for clients involved in civil claims before local courts and criminal complaints brought by Public Prosecutors.  He also represents clients in domestic and international arbitrations arising out of contracts with a UAE or Saudi connection.

Richard is well versed in alternative dispute resolution and is regularly instructed by clients to assist in settling claims by negotiation, mediation, expert determination and other forms of ADR.

Richard is admitted to the New Zealand Bar and continues to hold a New Zealand practising certificate.

Expérience

• Acting for a master developer in an AED 2 billion arbitration claim in the Dubai International Arbitration Centre arising out of a failed mixed-use development (the proceeding settled on terms favourable to the client).
• Advising an international retail company on force majeure issues arising under three separate contracts with a Saudi government entity.
• Acting for a multinational manufacturing company in a USD60 million LCIA arbitration claim arising under a joint venture agreement to operate a manufacturing facility in Abu Dhabi and assisting the client with related proceedings in the Abu Dhabi Courts
• Acting for a Dubai based developer in respect of claims totalling AED900 million arising out of series of development agreements with a Dubai government owned entity (judgment issued by the Court of Cassation in favour of Clyde & Co's client).
• Advising a Japanese manufacturer on the termination of a number of commercial agency contracts across the middle east and North Africa.
• Assisting a Dubai company and its parent company in Germany to defend a series of civil and criminal proceedings arising out of the termination of an importer agreement in India (all claims for interim relief brought by the importer against Clyde & Co's client were ultimately dismissed).
• Acting for a Saudi company in respect of a USD35 million CIETAC arbitration arising out of a series of contracts for the sale of industrial machinery;
• Assisting an international hotel company to defend a series of claims brought against it by a prospective franchisee arising out of the termination of a letter of intent in Pakistan (all claims for interim relief brought by the franchisee against Clyde & Co's client were ultimately dismissed).
• Advising a commodities trader on a high-profile criminal case in Abu Dhabi relating to money laundering and breach of sanctions.
• Acting for an individual client in a USD60 million shareholders dispute in arising out of the breakup of an export business leading to litigation in four separate jurisdictions.