Year of Call: 2009
Solicitor: 2011
Email Address: richard.whitehouse@3pb.co.uk
Telephone: 0117 928 1520
Richard is a Chancery, Commercial and Professional Risk barrister.
Prior to transferring to the Bar, Richard was a Solicitor-Advocate and Head of the Commercial Dispute Resolution team at a large Bristol-based law firm. Richard specialised in commercial disputes and professional negligence claims. He is an experienced litigator, negotiator and advocate.
Richard has particular expertise in:
Richard always provides thorough, user-friendly and commercial advice.
Richard has an extensive commercial practice that covers all types of business and commercial disputes, with a particular emphasis on contract, misrepresentation, partnership and director disputes. He regularly advises and represents businesses in both the County Court and High Court.
From his time working as a Solicitor-Advocate, Richard has significant experience of alternative dispute resolution and, in particular, representing clients at mediations.
Commercial Disputes
Richard has experience of a wide range of commercial disputes, including claims relating to:
Notable and Recent Cases
Professional Risk
Richard has particular expertise in relation to professional negligence cases. He has extensive experience of dealing with claims against all professionals including; barristers, solicitors, accountants, brokers, insurers, architects, surveyors and other construction specialists.
Lawyers
Richard’s experience as a Solicitor-Advocate is invaluable to professional negligence claims against lawyers, having been instructed on claims relating to employment, commercial litigation, property disputes, family and personal injury claims.
He has dealt with:
Accountants
Richard has handled a variety of claims, including:
Surveyors, Valuers and Architects
Richard has acted in:
Insurance Brokers and Insurers
Richard has advised, and acted for and against, brokers and insurers in claims for failure to implement the correct insurance cover, and for a broker in a claim regarding the failure to advise on the financial status of an insurer.
Richard has advised and represented clients on a wide range of property disputes, including boundary disputes and nuisance claims.
Richard is regularly instructed to make and oppose applications for injunctions relating to property.
Property
Notable and recent cases
Richard is regularly involved in mediations, acting either as a mediator or an advocate.
Richard qualified as an ADR Group accredited Civil and Commercial mediator in 2018. Whilst most mediations that Richard conducts relate to his primary areas of practice of commercial, property and professional negligence litigation, he also mediates in relation to a wide range of other matters including construction and probate disputes.
His recent experience includes mediations in relation to domestic building claims, boundary disputes, landlord and tenant disputes, a misrepresentation claim in relation to the sale of a business, a banking dispute, a professional negligence claim against solicitors, commercial disputes in relation to agricultural machinery and sale of goods disputes in relation to vehicles.
As a result of conducting a large number of telephone mediations, Richard is happy to mediate remotely using video conferencing or other means.
Richard has provided, and regularly attends, mediation training.
Specialist commercial law barrister Richard Whitehouse presented a webinar alongside Jack Webb on 22nd April 2021. The webinar examines the impact of Brexit and the pandemic on litigation. Richard's notes are available to read here.
Watch the webinar on impact of Brexit and the pandemic on litigation here.
Commercial update - Richard Whitehouse: Scope of duty in professional negligence: the return of “advice” versus “information”
In the first case on scope of duty in professional negligence since BPE Solicitors v. Hughes-Holland, has the Court of Appeal returned to the classic distinction between ‘advice’ and ‘information’ cases? Richard Whitehouse analyses the recent decision in Manchester Building Society v Grant Thornton UK LLP [2019] EWCA Civ 40.
Commercial update: Professional negligence – Solicitors’ duty to warn of risks incidental to their retainer
When will a solicitor need to give a warning to his client about obvious risks that come to his attention when performing his retainer, but which he has not been formally retained to advise on? Richard Whitehouse analyses the Court of Appeals recent decision in Lyons v. Fox Williams LLP [2018] EWCA Civ 2347.
Richard is a Commercial Law barrister specialising in professional negligence and business disputes.
Commercial update - Richard Whitehouse: Valuers’ negligence in the Supreme Court
The Supreme Court has again reconsidered causation and loss, in the context of a professional negligence claim against a valuer. Richard Whitehouse analyses the recent decision in Tiuta International Limited (in liquidation) v De Villiers Surveyors Limited [2017] UKSC 77.
‘He is very user-friendly from an instructing solicitor's perspective, and his advice is clear and pragmatic.’
Legal 500 2022/Professional Negligence/Leading Juniors/Western Circuit
‘Richard is particularly strong at giving complicated advice in clear, succinct language that makes him popular with clients. Advice is always given with one eye on the practical and commercial implications for a client.’
Legal 500 2022/Commercial Litigation/Leading Juniors/Western Circuit
"3PB's 'commercial, pragmatic, and user-friendly' Richard Whitehouse is recommended for breach of contract claims, representing clients across a range of industry sectors. Recent work has included claims relating to negligent installation of amenities, cross-jurisdictional claims, and asset purchase agreements."
‘Combines solid, pragmatic commercial strategy with detailed legal knowledge.’
Legal 500 2021/Commercial Litigation/Western Circuit
"At 3PB, Richard Whitehouse 'deals with factually and legally messy disputes with ease and tenacity' and provides 'excellent quality of advice tempered with a pragmatic application to real world scenarios'. A former solicitor, Whitehouse represents clients in litigious and non-contentious disputes including actions against professionals for breach of contract, trust, and fiduciary duty. He is regularly instructed in complex, high-value commercial disputes by insurers, companies, law firms, and other professionals, including barristers, surveyors, architects, accountants, and brokers."
‘He takes a proactive and practical approach throughout the claims process and regularly receives praise from lay clients and instructing solicitors. His attention to detail and turnaround timescales are second to none.’
Legal 500 2021/Professional Discipline/Western Circuit
Client Testimonials
“Impressive”
“Calm, professional and well prepared”
“Great with clients and is always able to put them at ease”
Richard Whitehouse is qualified to accept instructions directly from members of the public and professional clients under the Direct Access (or Public Access) scheme.
More InformationChaired by Head of Chambers David Berkley QC, this webinar, first broadcast on 22 April 2021, examines the impact of Brexit and the pandemic on litigation, with presentations by 3PB barristers Richard Whitehouse and Jack Webb. Richard Whitehouse on Civil Litigation: Post Brexit - The United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union is brought into effect at a domestic level by the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (“The Act”). As has been extensively reported, the...
Continue readingOur barristers Richard Whitehouse, Jack Webb, Christopher Edwards and Dr Zhen Ye delighted to have taken part in this Mock Commercial Contract Mediation and Trial with ARAG and the Insurance Institute of Bristol. Watch this video to find out more about the event.
Continue readingIn the first case on scope of duty in professional negligence since BPE Solicitors v. Hughes-Holland, has the Court of Appeal returned to the classic distinction between ‘advice’ and ‘information’ cases? Richard Whitehouse analyses the recent decision in Manchester Building Society v Grant Thornton UK LLP [2019] EWCA Civ 40. Click here to read Richard's analysis. Richard is a Commercial Law barrister whose practice has a particular emphasis on professional negligence, contract, partnership and director disputes. Click here to view...
Continue readingWhen will a solicitor need to give a warning to his client about obvious risks that come to his attention when performing his retainer, but which he has not been formally retained to advise on? Richard Whitehouse analyses the Court of Appeals recent decision in Lyons v. Fox Williams LLP [2018] EWCA Civ 2347. Click here to read Richard's analysis. Richard is a Commercial Law barrister specialising in professional negligence and business disputes. View Richard's profile here.
Continue reading