Richard was called to the Bar in 1980, commenced practice in 1982 and awarded silk in 1998. His specialties are common law, insurance law, public law, commercial law, land law and confiscation of criminal profits. He has particular expertise in statutory proportionate liability.
He was president of the Bar Association of Queensland (BAQ) from 2009 to 2011 and Medico-Legal Society of Queensland (MLSQ) from 2016 to 2018. He was awarded life membership of BAQ in 2019. He chaired BAQ’s Civil Litigation Committee from 2012 to 2022 and the Ethics Counsellors’ Panel from 2023. He is the editor (from 2022) of the BAQ’s Hearsay electronic magazine.
He is the lead author of two publications on the Ipp legislation, namely the online Civil Liability Australia – covering the Ipp legislation of the Commonwealth, states and territories – and the text Annotated Civil Liability Legislation Queensland – now in its 2021 fifth edition, with a sixth edition due to be published in the second quarter of 2025 – each published by LexisNexis.
In 2014 he was awarded the National Insurance Law prize by the Australian Insurance Law Association (AILA). In 2018 he was the ALIA’s annual Geoff Masel lecturer. He is an active member of BAQ, AILA, MLSQ and the Australian Lawyers’ Alliance.
He is a member – and head of chambers – of Callinan Chambers, located in Santos Place, Brisbane. He is also a member and director of Hemmant’s List, also located in Santos Place. He conducts an extensive trial court, appellate and advisory practice.
He is a nationally accredited mediator. He has mediated many disputes and appeared as counsel in many more.