I am Joint Managing Partner of the firm and lead our Employment, Immigration and Reward division, having been at Lewis Silkin for over 20 years.
I am recognised in major directories for my work, including Legal 500 and Who’s Who Legal. I enjoy advising a wide variety of clients, with a particular focus on professional services, financial services and broadcast media.
I mainly act for companies and LLPs. I advise them on everything involving their workforce, including:
- strategic advice on significant domestic and multinational risks
- major projects such as restructurings and acquisitions
- sensitive senior exits
- disciplinary issues incorporating regulatory issues
- high value litigation in the High Court as well as the Employment Tribunals, ranging from whistle blowing and discrimination claims, to claims for breach of fiduciary duties and enforcement of restrictive covenants
I also advise high net worth individuals on everything during the working cycle, including:
- negotiating terms and conditions of employment
- disciplinary and remuneration issues
- discrimination and whistle blowing claims
- severance and restrictive covenant disputes
I am also an accredited mediator, and regularly mediate workplace issues such as dysfunctional working relationships between senior managers, partners and managers and team members.
Employment
Recent examples of my work for companies and LLPs include:
- advising a multinational on strategy and implementation of withdrawal of an employee benefit in 73 countries
- advising a media company on its sale of a business to a rival, taking into account potential competition law issues
- exiting the EMEA Head of a division of a global investment bank in sensitive disciplinary circumstances
- advising an international law firm faced with a threatened exit of several partners in a department, and negotiating settlement terms
- defending discrimination and whistle blowing claims for an international investment bank
Senior Individuals
Recent examples of my work for high net worth individuals include:
- advising a team of asset managers on their exit from a multinational and establishing their own business, migrating their asset portfolio and investors with agreement of their former employer
- defending a former CEO of a technology consultancy against claims of breach of fiduciary duty and diversion of maturing business opportunities
- bonus and whistle blowing claim against a global investment bank
- representing a senior member of an LLP in disciplinary proceedings and negotiating severance terms.
Awards & Recognition
- Chambers 2024 (Employment: Employer – London (Firms)) - "Richard is an excellent lawyer whose advice and support on tricky issues is very well received. I really value his calm and unflappable approach."
- Chambers 2023 (Employment: Employer – London (Firms) AND Employment: Senior Executive – London (Firms)) "Richard is very smart and is impressive."
- Who's Who Legal 2022 - 'Observers herald Richard Miskella as "a leader" and "a stand-out practitioner" in the employment law space'
- Leading individual in Legal 500 2022 (Employment)
- Eminent Practitioner in Chambers 2022 (Employment)
- Chambers 2022 (Employment) - 'He is a pleasure to deal with in high-octane situations, he is tactically very good and he always looks to get a deal done'
- Chambers 2022 (Employment) - 'He is excellent - he is tough and he is strategic'
- Legal 500 2022 (Senior executives) - ‘Pragmatic, measured, calm. Richard Miskella is the new breed of employment partner at LS. An absolute star’
- Legal 500 2022 (Senior executives) - ‘I was looked after by Richard Miskella. Richard gave advice that I felt was carefully considered and highly bespoke to me and my circumstances. He is brilliant, committed, vastly experienced and very wise. I would (and did to a large extent) trust him with my life’
- Chambers 2021 (Employment: Employer) - "He's an absolute superstar for anything employment law-related; he's incredibly measured and calculated in the advice he gives. He's a really brilliant lawyer"
- Chambers 2021 (Employment: Employer) - "He gives practical, astute advice that blends a sensitivity to the problem with an innovative approach to a solution"
- Legal 500 2021 (Employment: Employers) - ‘Richard Miskella is our ‘go to’ lawyer for any sensitive or high value issues. His intellect, legal knowledge and strategic advice are second to none, and yet he has a down to earth style that resonates well with our senior stakeholders. He’s a true thought leader in the City’s employment law market’
- Legal 500 2021 (Employment: Employers) - 'Richard Miskella is as good as it gets’
- Who's Who Legal Global Leader - Labour & Employment (England) 2021
- Recommended in Who’s Who Legal 2020 England
- Who's Who Legal Global Elite: Labour and Employment 2020 - Richard Miskella is “an astonishingly good employment lawyer” who gains plaudits for his “extremely inspiring profile, strategic approach and business mind”.
- Legal 500 2020 - Richard Miskella - a class act. Unflappable. Commercial and cerebral
- WWL Thought Leaders 2019: an excellent and "immensely clever" lawyer who offers "technical excellence combined with a wealth of experience". One client states "His ability to think strategically and obtain the best outcome for our business is second to none."
- Legal Business Awards 2019 - Winner of Lawyer of the year
- Legal 500 2019 - Richard Miskella is 'highly strategic'.