David Richards has a degree in law from the University of Exeter and qualified as a solicitor at Ince & Co in 2007, becoming a partner there in 2015. In 2018 he joined North of England P&I club as a deputy director specialising in cargo claims, eventually becoming Deputy Global Head of P&I Claims and Head of Legal & Expertise. In January 2025, he returned to private practice as a Director at Shearwater Law.