Wilberforce Chambers is a go-to name for many City firms and beyond in occupational pensions work, dealing with some of the largest and highest-value pensions cases. Notable cases include four of the set’s barristers (Brian Green KC, Michael Tennet KC, Michael Tennet KC, Joseph Steadman) working on the widely publicised BBC pension scheme case – BBC v BBC Pensions Trustee – concerning the ability to modify the broadcasting service’s pension scheme. The set also includes Michael Tennet KC and Fenner Moeran KC appearing in Brass Trustees Ltd v Goldstone, the leading case on how pension scheme trustees should take the Pension Protection Fund into account when determining how to act – a case that has now re-emerged after the company failed to uphold its compromise, and on which Moeran is representing Brass Trustees Ltd in new insolvency proceedings.
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Profile
Position
Joseph has a diverse commercial chancery practice, spanning all of Chambers’ practice areas. He is regularly instructed to appear as sole counsel in High Court and County Court litigation, as well as being instructed as part of a larger counsel team. His practice also often involves advisory work.
Career
Call: 2015
Before starting pupillage, Joseph spent several months working with a major litigation funder, where he was responsible for assessing applications and drafting funding agreements. He is familiar with various funding models and with the effective presentation of cases to investors. Joseph has also taught and examined undergraduate courses in property and trusts at Cambridge and UCL.
Education
Joseph studied Law at Selwyn College, Cambridge, graduating in 2013 with a first class degree. He was awarded a university prize for the best result in the Equity Tripos, as well as numerous college scholarships and prizes.
Joseph then spent a year at The Queen’s College, Oxford, completing the BCL (distinction) in 2014. He studied advanced property and trusts, commercial remedies and restitution, and also produced a dissertation entitled “Remedies against Recipients from Defaulting Trustees.”
Upon completion of the BPTC (outstanding) at City University, London in 2015, Joseph was awarded the William Rose Memorial Prize for Excellence in Drafting. He also holds Lord Denning, Hardwicke, and Sunley Scholarships from Lincoln’s Inn.
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Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- The clerks are extremely savvy and know all the personnel at the Court, which is helpful on things such as listing. They're top of the game, effective and professional. From the most senior to the most junior, they impress.
- The clerks are particularly clever, understand the market, and the clients' expectations. Andrew Barnes, Fraser Geddes and Stewart Cameron are extremely knowledgeable.
- Wilberforce has the strongest pensions law expertise of any set.
- Outstanding set - premier set for pensions work.
- The go-to set for pensions and trusts. Class acts all the way across the board. The KCs are all stellar and the knowledge of the juniors is always impressive for their call.
- Wilberforce has been for many years, and remain, a stellar pensions set. They have top quality at the highest levels, and across the board.
- Wilberforce are our go-to set for pensions matters. When a client needs an opinion on an issue that could be worth millions or a high profile claim, the Wilberforce KCs are the first port of call.
- An outstanding set for pension disputes - almost all the big hitters are here.