Richard Smith, the principal of the firm, has had forty years’ post-admission experience in a wide range of court work, in both civil and criminal law matters. 

Richard practised as a barrister in Sydney from the date of his admission to the Bar in 1985 until 2003 when he changed roles from barrister to solicitor and has continued to practise as a solicitor since then.  He moved to the NSW Far North Coast in 2005 and practised as a solicitor in Lismore before opening the office in Byron Bay in 2014.

In his career as an advocate, both as barrister and solicitor, Richard has appeared in the Court of Appeal, Supreme Court, District Court and Local Courts in New South Wales, and in the Supreme, District and Magistrates’ Courts in Queensland. 

Richard estimates that he has appeared as an advocate in over three thousand matters ranging from contested hearings running up to six weeks, to those completed in a short time in the Local and Magistrates’ Courts, and therefore has considerable experience in matters of a complex and lengthy nature.

As well as the court appearances, Richard has also participated in numerous mediations and settlement conferences, both formal and informal, and has been involved in dispute resolution processes in a range of legal matters.  This experience has involved developing skills as a negotiator throughout his career commencing during the time he was employed by a government agency in New South Wales prior to his admission as a barrister.

Richard is available to appear in matters in Local Courts from Ballina to Tweed Heads and Magistrates’ Courts in Coolangatta and Southport.