LAWYER
Richard Chapman
Counsel | London
Richard Chapman

Richard Chapman is a counsel in Dechert’s financial services group, focusing his practice on prime brokerage, derivatives, trading documentation and associated regulatory issues. He advises a wide range of asset managers and other market participants on all aspects of their trading arrangements and relationships, including prime brokerage, intermediation, clearing, securities financing transactions and OTC and exchange-traded derivatives, including tailored derivative transactions. In addition, Mr.Chapman provides strategic advice in relation to regulatory and compliance issues affecting derivatives and trading documentation.

Mr. Chapman has extensive buy-side experience. Immediately prior to joining Dechert, he was a senior figure at a specialist buy-side advisory firm specializing in derivatives, trading and counterparty documentation. Prior to that Mr. Chapman spent six years as in-house legal counsel at a leading asset manager following a position as a supervising associate at another leading international law firm.

Mr. Chapman is listed in The Legal 500 UK for derivatives and structured products with one client stating that “Richard Chapman is one of London’s most talented derivatives lawyers”.

  • Multiple trading documentation representations on behalf of a broad range of funds and asset managers, including: ISDA Schedules and master confirmation agreements, exchange-traded derivatives and cleared OTC derivatives documentation, prime brokerage agreements, custody and sub-custody agreements, give-up agreements, cleared derivatives execution agreements, FX and rates prime brokerage intermediation agreements and currency hedging arrangements.
  • Multiple complex swap representations on behalf of a varied client base, including loan total return swaps, equity and bond swaps and contracts for difference confirmations.
  • A large EU investment manager on their funds’ complex equity derivatives arrangements with numerous counterparties and associated regulatory advice.
  • A UK investment vehicle in connection with bespoke corporate equity derivatives documentation and advice.
  • A large UK investment manager providing detailed analysis of the operation of derivatives and trading documentation upon counterparty default and during market stresses.
  • Advising asset managers, funds and investment vehicles on derivatives and trading related regulation, including EU EMIR and UK EMIR compliance matters, including regulatory reporting requirements.
  • Providing training on derivatives documentation.
  • London – Finance: Derivatives and Structured Products – The Legal 500 UK
  • Private Funds Roundtable Series: EMIR REFIT Reporting 2024 – are you ready? – Dechert, London (March 2024)
  • Dechert on Reg: Episode 5 - EMIR Reporting - Change Is Afoot: What You Need to Know – Podcast (November 2023)
  • Alternative Investment Funds COO Forum: Preparing for a Default - A Focus on Trading Documentation – Dechert, London (November 2023)
  • Private Funds Legal Retreat 2023 – Dechert, Oxford (September 2023)
  • Private Funds Roundtable Series: Future-proofing Against the Risk of Counterparty Failure - A Focus on Trading Documents – Dechert, London (May 2023)
  • Alternative Investment Funds COO Forum: Trading Takeaways – A Focus on Knowing your Risks and Regulatory Reporting – Dechert, London (December 2022)
Services
    • University of Southampton, LL.B. (Hons), 2000
    • The College of Law, LPC, 2002, Distinction
    • England and Wales
    • Law Society of England and Wales