In the early 2000s, Richard Olsson became known as a big swindler in Norway and was eventually sentenced to 14 months in prison for fraud. He later moved to Sweden and chose to focus on law and employment law.
Ten years ago, he founded Rive law firm, which would help people who had problems with their employers.
Customers have felt cheated
Over the years, SVT has been able to show how hundreds of customers felt cheated by Rive. Many were shocked by high invoices, some had to pay for lawyers' travel on a private jet and over a hundred were themselves sued by the firm. Most in disputes about pricing.
Seven years after the company's inception, the Patent and Market Court prohibited Rive from continuing with unclear price information, otherwise the company risked a fine.
Several former employees now tell in Dokument from the inside about how they felt pressured into a systematic business where customers were deceived in various ways.
"You take people who are perhaps in the most vulnerable situation of their lives. They come to us expecting help. But the whole scheme is made to deceive them, not to help them, says one of the former employees.
Rejecting criticism
Richard Olsson states that the business has been conducted completely legally and believes that he has nothing to answer for.
"You also have to remember that those who feel a little offended, feel a little left out by society and feel a little stepped on by the employer, may well also feel cheated a little more easily than everyone else," says Richard Olsson.
Sitting in prison
In the spring of 2021, Rive legal firm went bankrupt. Richard Olsson has since started more law firms but is now serving a prison sentence after being convicted of another crime.
See Documents from within: Shameless Wednesday 31 May 20.00 on SVT1 or on SVT Play.
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