Seen by clients as ‘leaders in pensions claims’, Outer Temple Chambers handles a broad range of pensions work, synchronising with the set’s reputation for employment work. The set had four members – Philip Stear, Patrick Tomison, Nicolas Stallworthy KC, and Andrew Short KC – involved in one of the largest pensions cases of late, Virgin Media Ltd v NTL Pension Trustees II Ltd. Dealing with the wider question of if section 37 of the Pension Schemes Act of 1993 invalidated amendments made without an actuary’s certificate. This year, three of the six counsel involved in the ’massive Part 8 action’ Verity Trustees Ltd v Wood & Save the Children Fund, Re: The Pensions Trust are from Outer Temple: Nicolas Stallworthy KC, Victoria Brown, and Andrew Spink KC. The case, proceedings for a multi-employer scheme with nearly 3,000 employees and £13bn in assets, is the longest submissions-only trial in the area.
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Work Department
Employment and Discrimination, Pensions, Commercial & Chancery, Public Law, Investigations & Sports Law
Position
Barrister specialising in Employment and Discrimination, Pensions, Commercial & Chancery, Public Law, Investigations & Sports Law.
Career
Victoria was called to the bar in 2014.
Victoria is a civil and commercial practitioner with a particular focus on pensions, employment and commercial disputes. She is ranked as a rising star by the Legal 500 in both Pensions and Employment.
She regularly appears as sole counsel in courts and tribunals and has represented clients in the Court of Appeal, High Court and Employment Appeal Tribunal. Victoria also has significant international experience, and has appeared before the World Bank Administrative Tribunal and the Organisation of American States Administrative Tribunal. Victoria acts for and against individuals, public authorities, FTSE 100 companies, senior executives, major financial institutions and NHS Trusts.
Victoria was appointed to the Attorney General’s C Panel of Civil Counsel in October 2020.
Victoria regularly provides training and CPD to firms and directly to clients, ranging from seminars to practical tribunal training (see, for example, coverage in The Times). She is a contributor to Tolley’s Pensions, Lexis PSL and Atkins Court Forms.
Memberships
- Association of Pensions Lawyers
- Employment Lawyers Association
- COMBAR
- Bar Pro Bono Unit
Education
Before coming to the Bar Victoria read Law at the University of Durham. She was graded ‘Outstanding’ on the Bar Professional Training Course.
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Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- The clerks are attentive and always on hand to offer suggestions for Counsel. Matt Sale is excellent.
- The clerking for pensions is led by Matt Sale, in parallel with Nicholas Levett and Lexie Johnson - they are quick, responsive and reasonable and entirely approachable and collaborative. They are the easiest of clerks to deal with.
- Outer Temple is a pensions powerhouse. All the barristers in the pensions team are approachable and lovely to work with.
- They are user-friendly, commercial and act collegiately with instructing solicitors, in addition to being super switched on and tech-savvy.
- A go-to Chambers for pensions advice. Strength in depth at all levels for pensions.
- Outer Temple remains one of the best for pensions litigation work.
- Outer Temple's pensions counsel is particularly good - their training programmes are informative and topical.
- One of the two heavyweight sets on pensions. They have built a very successful team over the last decade, with great quality and strength in depth.
- OTC are a great pensions set. They offer a wide variety of counsel, and can suit any needs in any circumstances.