Richard Coates—Freeths LLP

Law firm Freeths LLP has expanded its team in Birmingham with the appointment of corporate/commercial litigation specialist Richard Coates as a partner.

Richard spent eight years at national law firm Cobbetts LLP, before joining Freeths from Emms Gilmore Liberson where he was director of litigation services. He joins Freeths to build a corporate/commercial litigation division in Birmingham, working closely with the firm’s already well-established corporate/commercial and dispute resolution teams.

Richard has particular expertise in complex corporate disputes such as shareholder and partnership disputes. He has recently worked on a number of significant cases which included acting for a European-wide provider of specialist care in dispute with a supplier, a partner in a multi-party high value partnership dispute and several defendants in relation to a multi-million pound, multi-jurisdictional shareholder dispute.

Richard Beverley, managing partner at Freeths in Birmingham, says: ”We’re delighted to welcome Richard to the team. His experience will prove vital in firmly establishing our commercial litigation offering in Birmingham.

Richard has worked in the West Midlands legal sector for over a decade, acting for everyone from individuals through to large corporate and PLCs, in disputes both at home and abroad. Well respected in the city, I will have no doubt he will be a great addition to our growing team.”

Richard says: “Freeths heavyweight national platform coupled with its reputation as one of the leading law firms in the Midlands makes it the perfect place to build a strong corporate/commercial litigation offering in Birmingham. I am confident that with my experience and Freeths already impressive client base, we will quickly establish a strong offering in the city”.