Tribute to HCR Law Partner Paul Ridout, who’s legal expertise helped shape the evolution of UK health and social care

Paul Ridout, father, grandfather, friend to countless and one of the UK’s most respected healthcare lawyers died suddenly on Monday 10 August.

Over 54 years of continuous practise, Paul created one of the longest specialist careers in UK health and social care law becoming nationally acknowledged as a titan of the healthcare sector.

Born in July 1948 to Joyce and Peter Ridout, his sister Kate completed the family eight years later. By this time Paul had his eyes on his future, travelling to a local prep school and in 1961 gained a scholarship to Leighton Park School boarding school. He finished his school education aged just 17 and went to teach classics at Harecroft Hall School in the Lake District while applying for university. Paul graduated Exeter University in 1969 with his law degree and by 1972 was established in London and doing one of his first cases acting in the purchase of a health business.

He married Valerie Savage in 1973, and they had a wonderful partnership until her death from cancer in 2017.

Throughout the 1970s Paul built an eclectic career acting for some of the biggest names in the pop industry, including Tom Jones, Engelbert Humperdinck, Keith Richards, Freddie and the Dreamers to name a few. He ran a private generalist practice until specialising in healthcare and joining Nabarro Nathanson and subsequently nine years as a partner at DLA Piper.

Paul established his firm Ridouts in 2006, which built a significant reputation in the healthcare regulatory sector, joining HCR Law in 2024. He became a partner in the Top 50 law firm and was immediately welcomed as a central part of the Healthcare team.

Paul helped shape the evolution of the UK’s health and social care sector from a legal perspective. He advised care providers, regulators, developers and funders and just days before passing away, he was sharing his views on Prime Minister Burnham’s approach to tackling the UK’s health and social care crisis, warning that a proposed non-profit National Care Service would not be better value for money. He said: “To be successful, all services, need to create a surplus of revenue over expenditure to ensure substantial reinvestment.”

Later in his article he added: “A well-structured policy of NHS patients with social care needs being transferred to private care homes would release funding into social care to the advantage of the NHS, be it in saved cost or greater resources being redeployed into much-needed healthcare utilisation.”

His career in legal healthcare advice has run parallel to the growth and expansion of the sector, which has developed from a cottage industry dominated by individual professionals to the current landscape where businesses are increasingly being bought and run by global investors.

Paul witnessed the evolution of a key regulatory area, trained regulators, advised providers through decades of change, and sat at the centre of one of the most heavily regulated sectors in the UK.

He shared his unparalleled insight and expertise through writing textbooks and industry articles and continued to work full time at HCR Law right up until his death at the age of 78.

Tributes to Paul have flowed in since his death was announced.

Mark Stephens, CBE, said: Some lawyers teach you the law. A precious few teach you how to think. Paul Ridout was one of those people. He gave me responsibility ahead of my years, the freedom to make mistakes, the confidence to recover from them, and the intellectual rigour to become a better lawyer. Many of us owe him more than we can properly express.”

Rebecca Leask, HCR Law Partner and Joint Head of Healthcare, said: “I had the privilege of working with Paul for the last two years, following Ridouts joining HCR. His reputation had long preceded our first meeting, but it did not take long to realise that he far exceeded it.

“Behind the accomplished lawyer and respected sector leader was a kind, generous and inspiring man whose wisdom, humour and support touched the lives of so many and left a lasting impression on all who had the good fortune to know him.”

Kevin Craig, CEO of comms firm PLMR said: “I worked with Paul on and off for almost 25 years.  He was a wonderful mentor, a brilliant lawyer, a steadfast and kind friend, and most of all immensely proud of his daughter Lucie and his two grandchildren. He gave me and many others huge opportunities and support. He will be so greatly missed by many of us.”

Paul maintained a passion for music and the arts throughout his life, a frequent visitor to the Royal Opera House and travelling across Europe to see a production by the Ballet de l’Opéra de Paris and the Bolshoi. Together with his wife Valerie, they had many adventures through South America, Africa, India and Europe before her death.

Paul is survived by his daughter Lucie Newman, son-in-law Tony Newman, granddaughters Willow and Bobbi and his sister Kate Short and family.

Funeral arrangements

Paul Ridout’s funeral will take place on Wednesday September 9^th at 1pm, St Marylebone Parish Church, 17, Marylebone Road, London NW1 5LT.

Mourners are invited to wear at least one item of bright clothing in celebrate of his full life. The family has requested no flowers, but donations to Care Workers Support will be welcomed.