Richard was a Partner and later Chairman of Simpson Grierson, specialising in commercial litigation with an emphasis on public law, including resource management. He became a consultant to the firm in 1999.
Richard has a PhD in Australia/New Zealand trade issues from RMIT and graduate degrees in law and business administration having studied at the University of Texas in Dallas and the graduate business school at INSEAD in Fontainebleau near Paris.
He was elected Member of Parliament for Epsom in 1999 and again in 2002. He was re-elected in 2005. In Parliament he is the Shadow Minister of Economic Development and chairs the Regulations Review Committee which scrutinises all delegated legislation.
Richard was the Consul for the Republic of Colombia and is now the Consul for the Principality of Monaco.
He has, or has held, leading positions in a raft of charitable organisations - the Outward Bound Trust, the Royal New Zealand Coastguard Federation and the Order of St John.
Richard enlisted as an ordinary seaman in the Navy and as a reservist reached the rank of four ring Captain. For his military service he was appointed an Officer of the British Empire.
In addition Richard is a Fellow of the Institute of Directors, a Fellow of The New Zealand Institute of Management and a director of companies in the forestry and investment sectors. He has strong links with the Chinese, Korean and Indian business communities.
