Richard is a hugely experienced employment practitioner who has specialised in representing employers and employees on a broad range of employment issues for the last 25 years. He advises clients on matters including confidentiality and restrictive covenants, executive pay, bonus and severance arrangements, unfair dismissal, discrimination, whistleblowing and redundancy programmes.
He is frequently asked to advise in situations involving allegations of sexual misconduct in the workplace following the rise of the #MeToo movement, and the cases that have followed. This includes conducting (as investigator) and advising on investigations into such conduct.
Richard also often acts for religious institutions or organisations or those who work for them, and companies owned by members of the Plymouth Brethren Community in relation to various employment issues that may arise.
Richard Fox is a sage advisor to some of the top minds in the world of finance.
Spear’s Top Recommended Employment Lawyers 2020
Hugely impressive.
Chambers and Partners, 2019
Highly regarded for his confidentiality and restrictive covenants expertise.
The Legal 500 UK, 2019
Sensible, commercial and gets things done.
Chambers UK 2018
Expertise
- Employment law
- Executive pay
- Bonus and severance arrangements
- Discrimination
- Harassment
- Sexual misconduct and harassment in the workplace
- Workplace investigations
- Whistleblowing
- Redundancy
- Unfair dismissals
- Confidentiality and post-termination restrictive covenants – protection and obligations
- Employment Tribunals
- Team moves
- Partnership issues
- Religious discrimination issues
- Clergy representation
Experience
General
- Acted for a printing company whose employee had left and had acted in breach of his post-termination restrictive covenants.
- 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 public health organisation whose employee had stolen a sum of money from its funds. Dealt with the employment process and supported a referral to the police, whereafter the employee was convicted and sentenced to a significant term of imprisonment.
- 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 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.
- Appointed by an international organisation to carry out an independent investigation into an allegation of serious sexual assault made against an employee by another employee and to report findings thereafter.
Financial Services
- 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.
Professional Practices
- 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.
Recognition
Recognised by Best Lawyers (UK) 2025 for Employment
I have been extremely impressed with Richard’s thoroughness, care and attention. Chambers UK 2024
Recognised by The Legal 500 2023 for Employment
Top recommended employment lawyer by Spear’s 2023
Ranked by Chambers UK since 2011 for legal advice to senior executive and employers
President of the London Solicitors Litigation Association (2000 to 2002)
Chair of ELA’s Legislative and Policy Committee (the committee responsible for responding to Government on all consultations proposing new legislation on employment matters) between 2008 and 2010 and active current member
Deputy Chair of ELA in 2010 and served as ELA Chair from 2012 until 2014.
“Richard Fox maintains a practice representing both employers and individual senior employees in a broad range of employment issues. He advises clients on matters including claims of unfair dismissal, discrimination, harassment and whistle-blowing.”
Chambers UK 2023
“Richard Fox is a sage advisor to some of the top minds in the world of finance”
Spear’s Top Recommended Employment Lawyers 2020
“sensible, commercial and gets things done without letting ego get in the way,” and that “he is somebody you could trust to act in your best interests.”
Chambers UK 2018
“hugely impressive”
Chambers and Partners, 2019
“Highly regarded for his confidentiality and restrictive covenants expertise.”
Legal 500 UK, 2019
“Clients single out group head Richard Fox, who has significant experience representing senior individuals in the banking and financial services sectors, as well as media and sport. On the employer side, Fox acts for professional partnerships, as well as corporates and not-for-profit organisations.”
The Legal 500 UK 2017
Well respected in the market as an expert in contentious employment issues. He assists both employers and employees on matters including restrictive covenant enforcements, discrimination claims and mass redundancies and restructurings.”
Chambers UK, 2017
“punchy and pragmatic” and praised for “quickly understanding issues then finding ways to resolve them”
Chambers UK, 2015
Career
Richard qualified as a solicitor in 1986. Prior to joining Keystone Law, he worked at Kingsley Napley.