Richard Gould

Experience

• I joined BLM as a paralegal in 2004 before completing my training contract with the firm and qualifying as a solicitor in 2010.
• I was promoted to partner in April 2019.
• I act for insurers and insureds on a wide range of professional indemnity instructions including solicitors, insurance brokers, independent financial advisers and surveyors.
• I specialise in complex, high value and multi-party claims against professionals arising from all areas of business.
• I have developed particular interest and experience in claims against solicitors arising from the alleged mishandling of industrial disease, clinical negligence, general personal injury and product liability claims.
• I also have considerable experience in defending professional negligence claims involving aspects of fraud, exaggeration and/or fundamental dishonesty.
• Since 2008 I have acted for a variety of solicitors and their insurers in defence of claims arising from the alleged negligent handling of Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome & Respiratory Disease claims submitted under the British Coal Compensation Scheme.
• I acted for the successful defendant solicitor in the appeal of Perry v Raleys Solicitors - the first time that a professional negligence claim involving principles of loss of opportunity had been considered by the Supreme Court. 

Significant Reported Cases

• Court of Appeal Barnaby v Raleys Solicitors [2014] EWCA Civ 686 - challenges to findings of fact made by trial judge and the interplay between the legal test applicable to causation and the application of the loss of chance approach.
• Power v Meloy Whittle Robinson Solicitors [2014] EWCA Civ 898 - procedural issues relating to service of the claim form.
• Procter v Raleys Solicitors [2015] EWCA Civ 400 - standard of care in claims against solicitors. 
• Law v Raleys Solicitors [2016] EWCA Civ 642 - late admission of social media and surveillance evidence. 
• Supreme Court Perry v Raleys Solicitors [2019] UKSC 5 - the approach to be taken by the court in assessing factual causation in loss of chance cases.