Rich Hughes

Rich is one of the City of London`s most experienced finance lawyers, with a wide national and international experience which includes real estate finance, general banking, structured finance, fund finance and asset finance. He is a recognised expert in hotel and leisure sector finance.

He has in-house experience both in a major US investment bank (Morgan Stanley) and one of the world`s largest airlines (Emirates).

A highly effective transactional lawyer with 40+ years of experience. he is well known for his legal expertise combined with his ability to get deals completed in a practical, commercial and friendly manner.

Outside law he is the Chairman of the Western Front Association (the Great War educational charity), and strategic adviser to the Council of the National Army Museum, Chelsea.

He has a law degree from Oxford University and a modern history degree from Birmingham University.

Prior to joining Gowling WLG, Rich was a partner at a number of major firms including Linklaters, Sidley and Norton Rose.

Awards and recognition

In his professional life, Rich has a reputation as a "deal closer", and someone who gets complex things done without unnecessary drama, and in a collegial manner. Peer and client comments in the key industry legal journals stress his team work, personality and intellectual strength, and have included:

• Legal 500 – "the calm, pragmatic" Rich Hughes is "very bright, very commercial and very good fun to work with"
• Chambers Directory – "knows how to make things happen"
• Legal 500 – "good at getting a consensus"
• Chambers – "urbane Rich Hughes is hard to beat; he has such an effervescent personality"
• Legal 500 – "Rich Hughes fronting an exceptional team"
• Legal Business – "a key highlight was Hughes` work – a highly technical deal"
• Chambers – "an exceptional rainmaker….a strong team player"
• Chambers – "described by clients and peers as an excellent negotiator and problem-solver"