Globally recognised legal expert Richard Neylon honoured by Swansea University

Swansea University has awarded an honorary degree to Richard Neylon, a leading authority on managing major incidents and disputes in hostile and complex environments.

Richard, who originally graduated in Law from Swansea University's Law School in 1998, was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD) during a winter degree congregation on Tuesday, 9 December 2025.

Since completing his undergraduate studies at Swansea, Richard has built a distinguished career advising on major incidents involving marine casualties, liability issues, war risks, and kidnap and ransom situations. He is widely regarded as an expert in these fields and regularly handles cases involving unlawful detentions, drug seizures, fraud, and other complex challenges faced by global businesses. His work has taken him into some of the world's most challenging maritime conflict zones, including Somalia, West Africa, Russia and Ukraine, the Red Sea, and the Arabian Gulf.

He now leads the global Complex Environments team at HFW, an international law firm. His team provides specialist legal advice and support to organisations operating in challenging and high-risk regions.

In addition to his legal work, Richard lectures in the UK and internationally on crisis response, shipping, and insurance topics, and contributes to leading industry publications.

He is a founder member of the Hostage Support Partnership (HSP), which was commended by the United Nations Security Council in 2017 for its role in securing the release of 26 hostages held in Somalia for four and a half years.

Richard and his team have also received the Lloyd's List Corporate Social Responsibility Award for their pro bono work to free 48 "forgotten" hostages in Somalia. He is a former winner of the prestigious Lloyd's List Global Maritime Lawyer of the Year Award.

On receiving his honorary degree, Richard said: "It is a deep personal honour to accept this award. I spent a wonderful three years as a law undergraduate at Swansea - a University that laid the foundations for my professional journey, and continues to hold a special place in my life. Since graduating, I've been fortunate enough to work alongside the University, supporting the next generation of lawyers, including as a visiting lecturer. I am deeply appreciative of this distinction, and I am committed to supporting the University's mission and its future success."

Share Story