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.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Profile
Position
- One of the leading KCs at the Chancery Bar
- Chambers & Partners Chancery KC of the Year
- Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners Barrister of the Year
- Consistently star and top rated in Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 directories
- Equally recognised and recommended for contentious and non-contentious work, and UK and offshore work
- Featured as Lawyer of the Week in The Times and listed as one of the “Top 50 lawyers” in the UK by The Sunday Times
Wide-ranging experience in Chancery matters Brian specialises in all aspects of:
- Commercial trusts and other property holding structures
- Pension schemes – occupational and public sector
- Private trusts and estates
Career
Called 1980; KC 1997; Bar representative on the Revenue Law Committee of the Law Society, Capital Taxes sub-committee, since 1994; awarded Chancery KC of the Year 2006 Chambers Bar Awards.
Education
Oxford University (double first: both BA and BCL); tenured lectureship in Law at the LSE (taught Restitution on LLM and Trusts and Land law on LLB).
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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.