Personal Experience

Richard Sullivan is a Founding Partner and one of the most distinguished corporate and business law attorneys at Thapelo & Sullivan Partners. As the co-architect of the firm alongside Markus Thapelo since its founding in 1971, Richard has spent over three decades shaping the firm's corporate advisory practice into an internationally recognised powerhouse. Born and educated in Dublin, Ireland, Richard relocated to South Africa in the late 1960s, where his vision for a cross-border, multi-jurisdictional law firm ultimately gave rise to what Thapelo & Sullivan Partners is today. His practice covers mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, commercial contracts, joint ventures, and regulatory compliance across multiple jurisdictions.

With over 35 years of hands-on experience advising multinational corporations, government entities, and high-growth startups, Richard is the firm's foremost authority on cross-border business transactions between Africa and Europe. He has personally overseen the establishment of the firm's United Kingdom and Malta offices, and continues to lead the firm's most complex and high-value corporate mandates. Richard is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a regular speaker at international business law conferences across Africa and Europe.

Education

• LLB (Bachelor of Laws) — Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
• LLM (Master of Laws), Corporate & Commercial Law — London School of Economics, England
• Admitted Attorney of the High Court of South Africa
• Fellow — Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, London

Language

• English (Native)
• Irish (Fluent)
• Maltese (Conversational)
• Zulu (Basic)