Richard Power is a partner in Clyde & Co's litigation department. He joined the firm in 2015 from Berwin Leighton Paisner where he led the firm's energy disputes practice. Power joined BLP as an associate in 2001 from Simmons & Simmons and was made up to partner in the commercial dispute resolution group in 2010.
Why did you become a litigator?
Mostly because I love problem-solving, but partly through sheer contrariness. When I was a trainee in Durban, South Africa, I had a particularly aggressive supervisor who told me I'd never make it as a litigator. When I returned to the UK I came to realise that he was wrong: you don't have to be a Rottweiler to be a good dispute resolution lawyer.
Which judge or barrister do you most admire and why?
John McCaughran QC (One Essex Court) is not only brilliant, but also a complete gent. He is a pleasure to work with. His subtle advocacy is compelling and chimes with my belief that you don't have to be overly-aggressive to achieve results.
What's been your proudest professional moment/moment in court?
Being made up to partner.
and worst day on the job?
When I was a trainee in Durban my supervisor told me to go the Applications Court in Durban Magistrates' Court and ask for the usual Order . I asked what that was, and he told me not to worry, the Magistrate never asks. Applications Court was packed, with a lot of my friends from university waiting to do their applications. I stood up and asked for the usual Order and lo and behold, the Magistrate asked me what the usual Order was. To the laughter of the gallery, I turned bright red and asked to have the application stood down, and dashed out to use the public telephone (in the days before mobile phones!) to ask my supervisor what I should do. There was much laughter on the other end of the line and he just told me to come back to the office!
What's the best/worst thing about being a litigator?
The best thing is the constant variety. One day is rarely the same as another; there are a myriad of different problems to solve, issues to address and strategies to formulate.
The worst thing is the marketing. We're like undertakers no-one wants you around when the going's good, only when the bodies start turning up, and it's quite difficult to market that kind of service.
What's the funniest thing you've ever witnessed in court?
I was attending the cross-examination of a bankrupt in the Royal Courts of Justice. The Trustee's QC stood up and asked the bankrupt to confirm his name, which he did; and then to confirm his date of birth. The bankrupt answered which one? which the QC was clearly (and understandably) not expecting. Shaken, he asked what do you mean , to which the bankrupt replied do you mean the one on my passport, or the one on my birth certificate, or the date I think I was born? . The cross-examination went downhill from there.