Richard Osborne
Call 2005
Instruct Richard
To instruct Richard please contact our clerks on +44 (0)20 7842 5555 or email [email protected].
Richard Osborne is a highly sought-after senior junior with particular expertise in construction & engineering, information technology and commercial disputes.
Richard has a busy construction practice, as demonstrated by his regular involvement in complex disputes arising from very major projects, including substantial ICC arbitrations concerning rail and wind farm projects, and acting as junior counsel (with Sean Brannigan KC) for Fluor in the quantum trial of its £400m pound claim against its steel manufacturer arising from defects in the welding of steel monopiles supplied for the Greater Gabbard Offshore Windfarm. He is regularly instructed as sole counsel in substantial and highly technical litigation, arbitration and adjudications.
Richard’s complementary profile in IT is demonstrated by his rankings in both directories, with Chambers UK 2025 saying ““Richard is diligent and extremely clever. A good draftsman, a team player and able to read the client, the tribunal and the other side”. He has extensive experience working for both customers (including the BetFred, P&O and Sanctuary Housing) and suppliers (including IBM, Ericsson, InterSystems, Polycom, Portaltech and Hitachi). Richard is particularly adept with disputes concerning failed IT implementation projects, outsourcing and PFI disputes (including in relation to injunctive relief to prevent termination), in addition to disputes involving software licencing issues.
Alongside this, Richard has experience of advisory and trial work across a broad range of commercial disputes, including claims for the manufacture of defective products, sale of goods, insurance and professional negligence claims.
Richard is a leading junior in construction and IT disputes. Previous directory comments include:
- “Extremely bright (but very humble) and an outstanding draftsman. He is also tenacious – like a dog with a bone, even in respect of the more tedious aspects of cases.” (Legal 500)
- “Richard is diligent and extremely clever. A good draftsman, a team player and able to read the client, the tribunal and the other side” (Legal 500)
- “Has a forensic mind and can absorb a huge amount of material. He has great people skills and a wonderful sense of humour.” (Chambers and Partners)
- “Approachable, relaxed and self-assured, he’s willing to think around a problem with you.” (Chambers and Partners)
- “A good junior who inspires confidence and has fantastic client-handling skills.” (Legal 500)
Other comments include that Richard is “a real team player, who is hard-working, very capable and good with clients. He has qualities beyond his years.” “very good, very personable and a good communicator.” and “an excellent junior, who is really hard-working and user-friendly”.
Construction & Engineering
Richard has acted in a large number of major construction disputes including in litigation, international arbitration, adjudication and expert determination. Richard has particular experience in complex adjudication and expert determination processes. He regularly works as part of large teams on very large and complex disputes.
Featured Construction & Engineering cases
Representing (as junior counsel) a large international engineering contractor in defending complex and substantial claims brought against it in ICC arbitration concerning a major project in the Middle East.
Acting as junior counsel (with Sean Brannigan KC) for Fluor in the trial of its £400m pound claim against its steel manufacturer arising from defects in the welding of steel monopiles supplied for the Greater Gabbard Offshore Windfarm.
Successfully acting for several months in a substantial adjudication arising from the M&E works at a landmark office and commercial redevelopment in central London.
Acting for a PFI contractor (Ensign) both in Expert Determination and subsequent High Court proceedings in a major dispute with Portsmouth City Council arising from a 25 year highways maintenance contract.
Engaged as junior counsel by Yorkshire Water in complex multi-party TCC litigation concerning a landslip and associated substantial property damage.
Acting (with Fiona Sinclair KC) for the contractor in a £20m-plus dispute arising from attempts to undertake a super-prime residential development.
Successfully acting as sole counsel in two very substantial adjudications concerning the termination of a very large subcontract and recovery of tens of millions of pounds in damages for his client.
Successfully acting in a large number of adjudications. These include adjudications concerning the validity of a termination of a contract to build a housing development, defending allegations of professional negligence against civil and structural engineers, and successfully arguing for the dismissal of an adjudication on a summary basis for lack of jurisdiction. Richard also successfully acted in two lengthy expert determinations to resolve complex claims of historic overpayment stretching back over a decade under a PFI contract.
Information Technology & Telecoms
Richard has extensive experience working for both customers (including the UK government, BetFred, P&O and Sanctuary Housing) and suppliers (including IBM, Ericsson, InterSystems, Polycom, Hitachi and Portaltech Reply). He is “acclaimed for his work in major cases” (Chambers and Partners) and is used to integrating into teams of solicitors, experts and clients on major disputes, including as a specialist junior handling the IT aspects of broader litigation. He has considerable experience in outsourcing and PFI disputes, including in relation to injunctive relief to prevent termination.
Richard also talks and writes about issues in IT law for law firms and specialist societies.
Featured Information Technology & Telecoms cases
Representing Polycom in High Court litigation in relation to a multi-million pound dispute under a licencing agreement.
Instructed by IBM as junior counsel in TCC litigation arising from an Oracle implementation undertaken by the National Trust.
Representing Sanctuary Housing (the UK’s largest Housing Association) in its substantial litigation against Ciber arising from a difficult SAP implementation.
Representing BetFred in its multi-million pound High Court dispute with the Premier League relating to Database Rights in relation to football data, in addition to litigation in relation to contracts for the upgrade and maintenance of its national printer estate.
Acting as junior counsel (with Lynne McCafferty KC) for Hitachi Services Europe in substantial High Court litigation concerning a Microsoft Dynamics 365 implementation.
Representing Reply Portaltech as sole counsel in litigation concerning the provision of a website for a large national retailer.
Commercial Disputes
Richard has experience of advisory and trial work across a broad range of commercial disputes, including claims for the manufacture of defective products, sale of goods disputes and banking work. In recent years he has been engaged as junior counsel on major litigation arising from a maintenance contract and has advised on numerous commercial disputes, including the construction of a retention of title clause, alleged penalty clauses and a disputes arising from shipbuilding agreements. He has experience of appearing in both the County Courts and the High Court.
Featured Commercial Disputes cases
Advised in relation to a £1m+ claim for damages arising from defects in the manufacture of a number of commercial vehicles, particularly in relation to the appropriate measure of damages under the Sale of Goods Act.
Successfully acted in a substantial dispute concerning the manufacture and supply of specialist storage tanks used to store fuel at commercial premises. The claim was for substantial damages resulting from defects in the tanks and/or their installation causing substantial damage.
Acting in proceedings for damages against the manufacturer of specialist equipment for the testing of brakes purchased for use in a factory constructing agricultural equipment.
Advised in relation to a claim arising from the supply of defective specialist cooling equipment installed at a manufacturing facility in South Africa. The equipment failed causing substantial damage.
Acted as junior counsel in a series of arbitrations arising from the construction of 4 chemical tankers (including complex delay claims, liquidated damages provisions, variation orders/ work scope issues and defect claims).
Worked as one of the team of counsel representing the Defendant (a national supermarket) in relation to a claim involving thousands of alleged breaches of a maintenance agreement.
Defended proceedings for an interim injunction seeking to restrain alleged breaches of an option agreement.
Defended an appeal against an arbitrator’s award before the Commercial Court in proceedings arising from the construction and sale of a ship.
Professional Negligence
Richard has experience of a wide range of professional negligence litigation and has been involved in numerous claims against or on behalf of solicitors, insurance brokers, surveyors, engineers, architects, quantity surveyors, builders, actuaries and managing agents.
Featured Professional Negligence cases
Drafting proceedings against a bank in a £25m claim (settled pre-action) arising from advice surrounding loss-making property investments.
Represented a waste recycling company in its c£20m claim against its insurance broker for allegedly negligent advice leading to substantial under-insurance.
Acting as junior counsel for a firm of accountants accused of negligence in relation to the execution of a complex financial model in relation to a PFI contract.
Advising and successfully representing surveyors in relation to allegations of negligent over-valuation of a property.
Advising auctioneers in relation to allegations of negligence arising from the auction of a £1.3m commercial property.
Advising solicitors concerning alleged negligence in relation to the conveyance of a substantial domestic property.
Working as a team of counsel on a £400m claim brought by the liquidators of an insurance company against its former actuaries and accountants.
Successfully representing solicitors in a claim brought against them arising from advice concerning limitation.
Defending engineers in a claim brought against them in relation to the allegedly negligent design of rectification works to sections of railway.
Representing architects in a claim concerning allegedly negligently caused cost-overruns, and defective heating and acoustic systems in a new-build office design.
Advising the Claimant in respect of a claim against planning consultants regarding a failed planning application.
Represented a large insurance broker in relation to alleged negligence in relation to the reporting of claims.
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Instruct Richard
To instruct Richard please contact our clerks on +44 (0)20 7842 5524 or email [email protected].
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Call: +44 (0) 20 7842 5555
