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  1. Pensions – Leading Sets
  2. Pensions – Leading Silks
  3. Pensions – New Silks
  4. Pensions – Leading Juniors

Pensions – New Silks

‘Clearly at the top of its game’, Wilberforce Chambers is ‘an obvious choice for pensions work’. It offers a strong roster of barristers who are at the forefront of pensions cases, including the Nortel proceedings brought by the Pensions Regulator and the Pilots National Pension Fund case. Recommended silks include the ‘awesomely intellectual’ Brian Green QC, who is ‘very approachable and client friendly’; Robert Ham QC, who has a ‘phenomenal memory for the tiny details of a case’; and Christopher Nugee QC, whose ‘highly persuasive advocacy skills make it all sound very easy’. Michael Furness QC is ‘an assured performer’, Paul Newman QC is ‘exceptionally user friendly for both solicitors and clients alike’, and Michael Tennet QC exhibits ‘excellent technical and commercial strengths’. Among the juniors, Jonathan Evans ‘puts himself out for his clients’; Emily Campbell is ‘exceptionally clever and extremely diligent’; Jonathan Hilliard is ‘a leading QC in the making’; and Andrew Mold is ‘a very bright guy’. Also recommended are the ‘extremely hardworking’ Edward Sawyer, the ‘technically sound’ Thomas Seymour and Emily McKechnie, who is ‘one to watch’.

Outer Temple Chambers’ barristers have appeared in some of the most significant pensions cases of recent times, and the set continues to give its competitors ‘a good run for their money’. Andrew Spink QC demonstrates ‘great leadership and tactical nous’, and is complemented by the ‘personable and intellectually sharp’ Andrew Short QC and Nicolas Stallworthy QC (‘at the cutting edge of legal thinking’), both of whom are building impressive reputations following their appointments in 2010 and 2011, respectively. Among the juniors, Richard Hitchcock displays ‘mastery of technical issues’, Keith Bryant is ‘approachable and thorough’, and David Grant delivers ‘dogged analysis of very complex points’. Farhaz Khan and James Rickards are ‘ones to watch’, and Naomi Ling gives ‘very clear advice’.

Recent highlights for XXIV Old Buildings’ members include involvement in the British American Insurance Company dispute and the Pilots National Pension Fund case. Alan Steinfeld QC is a highly respected silk, and John Stephens is also well regarded for his ‘tactical and commercial acuity’ and ability to ‘see through to the heart of a case’.

At Radcliffe Chambers, Keith Rowley QC ‘knows his way around the intricacies of pensions judgments’; for some, he is ‘the number-one choice of leading counsel for pensions work’. Recommended juniors include Elizabeth Ovey, whose work is ‘stunning and always meticulously prepared’; and Frances Ratcliffe, who is ‘a very thorough advocate and good value for money’.

At 3 Stone Buildings, Sarah Asplin QC is ‘very strong on technical matters and provides an exemplary service to clients’, and has experience that ranges from advising government departments and public bodies to litigating multimillion-pound funds. Fenner Moeran is ‘very bright, and like a terrier in the courtroom’.

5 Stone Buildings’ Andrew Simmonds QC is ‘a joy to work with; he is extremely user friendly, very bright and extraordinarily thorough’. Christopher Tidmarsh QC ‘explains the technical issues to lay clients in a way they can understand’ and is highly regarded both for his advice and advocacy skills. New silk Henry Legge QC is also recommended.

Other noteworthy practitioners include the ‘excellent’ Raquel Agnello QC and the ‘hardworking and approachable’ Thomas Robinson at 11 Stone Buildings, both of whom are recognised for their work for the Pensions Regulator; Maitland Chambers’ James Clifford, who is ‘reliable and among the best when it comes to technical cases’; Nicholas Randall at Devereux, whose work ‘not only reflects intellect but also tactical acuity’; and Four New Square’s Nigel Burroughs, who acts in all types of pensions disputes and has niche expertise in issues arising from attempts to amend scheme documentation.

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Legal Developments in London Bar for Pensions

  • Personal accounts and auto-enrolment: looking ahead

    The government plans to introduce a new national ‘personal accounts’ pension system in 2012. From October of that year, all employers will be required to auto-enrol eligible employees into either the government’s new personal accounts scheme or, if it meets certain ‘qualifying’ criteria, the employer’s own pension arrangement.
    - Eversheds LLP

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