I too, want to pay tribute to Richard, and to extend my sympathies to Sue and the family on Richard's tragic and untimely loss. I'm writing this in the building in which Richard started his career, because Gordons' Bradford offices now incorporate some of the building which formed Hammonds' original Bradford base - from which Alan Bottomley, Roger Suddards and their colleagues, Chris Jones, John Heller and more took on the Yorkshire corporate market with such energy, verve and fine business sense. I'm sure Richard forged many of his skills in that crucible. The corporate finance community has developed massively from those firm foundations laid 25 years or more ago - my own then firm, Sampson Wade, which became DLA; Walker Morris and Hammonds itself were all founded in this city, and the qualities which Richard so generously displayed came in no little part from those roots. All the more sad, then, that my profession, and the Yorkshire business community (Richard was a Yorkshire lawyer, after all, though in the capital) have lost what Richard was and would have continued to contribute. We're all shocked, and so sad. Tim Ratcliffe, Gordons LLP, Bradford

Tim Ratcliffe

In 1981, I returned to Bradford from Birmingham where I qualified. I joined the well known firm of Last Suddards where Richard was the very first Articled Clerk to be assigned to work with me in Commercial Litigation. I later swirtched to Employment and he to Corporate Finance. Richard was driving and enthusiastic then as he was right to the end as I understand it, but he was always at the same time charming and personable, and always a good friend even after I left Hammonds and came to RHS (now Cobbetts). He will be sorely missed but cheerfully remembered

Ronald Drake