Richard Salter QC

Call 1975; QC 1995; MA(Oxon) ACIArb
Email: rsalter@3vb.com

"Richard Salter...'..is a real heavy hitter'.."

..'One of the brightest silks, full stop'...

..‘combines a strong strategic overview of a case with complete command of the detail' ..

..'every fact is at his finger tips and his cross-examination is first-rate'.."

Richard Salter's practice covers all aspects of commercial litigation and arbitration. He also has a specialist advisory practice in banking, corporate finance, financial services and insolvency matters. According to the directories, he is 'one of those rare beasts who is just as good on his feet as he is at verifying every footnote of an argument'.

Richard is a Deputy High Court Judge and a Recorder. He also sits as an Arbitrator in ICC and other types of arbitrations.

There is a significant international dimension to Richard's work. He is a member of the Bar of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court and has appeared several times in the Commercial Court of the British Virgin Islands. He has been admitted pro hac to the Bar of the Bahamas (where he appeared before the High Court and before the Court of the Appeal) and as an Advocate in the Isle of Man. He has also been involved in substantial advisory and litigious matters in India, Hong Kong, and many other common-law jurisdictions.

Richard has written extensively on banking topics, and assists with the specialist Corporate Insolvency and Corporate Finance modules for the BCL/MJur/MLF courses at Oxford.

What the Directories Say

Richard was named Banking & Finance Silk of the Year in the Chambers & Partners Bar Awards 2012.   He is consistently rated as a leading silk in the Banking and Finance and Commercial Dispute Resolution sections of Chambers & Partners and in the Banking and Finance, Commercial Litigation and International sections of the Legal 500.

Richard Salter QC's "legal analysis is quite brilliant," according to sources. Solicitors further favour him as he is "very happy to get in the detail and work as part of a team."

He "cuts through the minutiae of a case and hits upon the key issues." He is known for his incredible depth of knowledge of banking products and documents and is sought out for the more complex technical cases. Peers say that his "gentlemanly manner" masks his ferocious determination to win."
Chambers & Partners Guide 2013

Banking and financial services expert Richard Salter QC also 'provides first-rate legal analysis and performs excellently in court'.

He is recognised for his 'excellent preparation and attention to detail'. His 'application of the law to the facts is as good as it gets,' according to solicitors.   A banking specialist, his is said to be 'outstanding on structured finance matters', and he has strong advisory practice relating to high-value syndicated lending, bond issues and complex financial instruments.
Chambers & Partners Guide 2012

Richard Salter QC is ‘first choice for complicated derivatives and structured finance products'.
Legal 500 2012

Richard Salter QC enjoys a thriving practice in the general commercial sphere. He is noted for his "superb attention to detail and his ability to convey complex legal detail in a persuasive and charming manner".

He is "an intellectual heavyweight, who combines a strong strategic overview of a case with complete command of the detail".
Chambers & Partners Guide 2011

Richard Salter QC is 'a master of the detail, every fact is at his finger tips and his cross-examination is first rate'.
Legal 500 2011

The "unbelievably bright" Richard Salter QC .. is praised for his "superb written work and advocacy."

He has been involved in [the Bank Charges] litigation. He has also been spending a lot of time on advisory work as well as contentious offshore banking matters. According to sources, Salter is 'a hands-on and terribly bright practitioner who is a real heavy hitter'.
Chambers & Partners Guide 2010

Another silk who has more than capably handled the OFT bank charges litigation is Richard Salter QC, 'a man with strong views that he can back up'. 'One of the brightest silks, full stop', .. Sources applaud his 'positive outlook and precise thinking in establishing exactly what needs to be done'. 

Richard Salter QC's 'razor-sharp mind' is a hit with observers, who are also impressed by his 'genuine love of the law' and the fact that 'he always has the right information at his fingertips'.
Chambers & Partners Guide 2009

Richard Salter QC gives interviewers the impression of being 'genuinely fascinated by the law. He can opine on anything'. In practice, he is 'one of those rare beasts who is just as good on his feet as he is at verifying every footnote of an argument'.
Chambers & Partners Guide 2008

Equally busy [was] Richard Salter QC, who clients say 'you know he will have done the work required to deal with the unexpected in court'.
Legal 500 2008

The 'incredibly bright' Richard Salter QC engendered praise for his 'awareness of the complexities of the area' .. 'his polite and gentle approach yields very good results' .. 'highly articulate without being overbearing'.

Clients are loyal to Richard Salter QC because, as one explains 'he brings the gravitas that comes with being a QC without losing any of the ingenuity or sheer mastery of detail that he exemplified as a senior junior'..
Chambers & Partners Guide 2007

The 'phenomenal' Richard Salter QC won praise from practitioners for his 'incredible attention to detail', with one commenting that 'if you have a complex technical banking problem he's one of the best silks around'..
Chambers & Partners Guide 2006

Richard Salter QC is 'tenacious and hard working'. He impressed one client by putting in an 'astonishing performance' at short notice, 'rolling up his sleeves and cross-examining fantastically well.'
Chambers & Partners Guide 2005

Clients

UK and international banks, other financial institutions and their customers, the organisations that regulate them; insolvency practitioners; commercial companies of all kinds; solicitors, accountants and their clients; insurers, reinsurers, brokers and their clients; developers, financiers, builders, construction professionals and their clients; trade arbitrators.

Publications

• 20 Halsbury's Laws (4th ed 1993 re-issue), title Guarantee and Indemnity;
• contributor to Banks, Liabilities and Risk (1st ed 1991; 3rd ed 2001) and to Banks and Remedies (1st ed 1991; 2nd ed 1999);
• consulting editor, All England Commercial Cases 1999-;
• editor, Legal Decisions Affecting Bankers, vols 12, 13 and 14.

Appointments

• Deputy High Court Judge
• A Recorder;
• Master of the Bench of the Inner Temple;
• Member of the Bar Council 2005-12 
• Chairman, LCL&CBA 2005-6.

Languages

Working knowledge of French, rudimentary Russian, German and Italian.