Retour United Kingdom - The Bar

Leading Silks

Michael Furness KCWilberforce ChambersHis sheer intellectual power will get you past most obstacles.’
Brian Green KCWilberforce ChambersHe is a fighter who wears mink boxing gloves, but lands punches with the collective force of Wilder, Fury, Tyson and Foreman.
Paul Newman KCWilberforce ChambersAn absolutely brilliant advocate – a straight talking person who does not sugar coat the situation. He fights like his life depends on it to put your best points across.’
Keith Rowley KCRadcliffe ChambersHe has outstanding technical knowledge, with a great eye for detail and robust advocacy where appropriate. One of the leading KCs at the pensions Bar.'
Andrew Short KCOuter Temple ChambersOne of the leading pensions silks. His technical knowledge is outstanding.'
Nicolas Stallworthy KCOuter Temple ChambersNicholas' advocacy is calm and persuasive - he makes you want to agree with him rather than needing to force points.’
Michael Tennet KCWilberforce ChambersMichael is one of the pre-eminent pensions silks. He can be relied on to provide incisive and authoritative advice.’
Keith Bryant KCOuter Temple ChambersHe is a formidable advocate who commands the respect of judges and opponents, a team player and a pleasure to work with.’
Jonathan Hilliard KCWilberforce ChambersIncredibly bright - Jonathan sees dimensions others miss.
Richard Hitchcock KCOuter Temple ChambersA silk with a formidable intellect, vast experience, and a street fighter’s instinct - you want this man on your side.’
Fenner Moeran KCWilberforce Chambers 'He has excellent knowledge of pensions and financial services law and regulatory issues – a go-to KC in this area.'
Raquel Agnello KCErskine ChambersRaquel is fantastic on her feet and manages the case and the court brilliantly, explaining complicated technical points with absolute clarity. An astute silk who is great with clients.'
David Grant KCOuter Temple ChambersDavid is meticulous - he leaves no stone unturned. An utterly reliable silk.'
Ben Hubble KC4 New SquareHe is very effective at creating consensus and bringing a conclusion to difficult situations. A silk with gravitas.
Farhaz Khan KC3 Verulam BuildingsA silk who stands out for his extensive experience in complex pensions litigation.'
Andrew Mold KCWilberforce ChambersAn assured advocate who quickly wins the support of the judge.'
Christopher Tidmarsh KC5 Stone BuildingsHe is very client friendly – his explanations for clients are always very clear for the layman but also nicely pitched for the pensions specialist. He looks for solutions and is commercial and pragmatic.

2023 Silks

Katherine Apps KC39 Essex ChambersKatherine is extremely on top of the papers, and has all the facts at her fingertips. She is very responsive and able to turn matters around with alacrity.
Claire Darwin KC – Matrix Chambers ‘Claire is a highly impressive advocate and a class act. She senses where judges are going and responds by giving them exactly the information they need to confirm or change their minds.'

Leading Juniors

Edward SawyerWilberforce ChambersEdward is both thoughtful and practical and sees the full picture. He combines technical knowledge with commercial awareness and is one of the most highly rated senior juniors.
Lydia SeymourOuter Temple ChambersLydia makes a very complicated topic clear and understandable. She is great with clients and provides both technical and pragmatic advice.
Sebastian AllenWilberforce ChambersSebastian is a stand-out pensions counsel. His approach is incisive, clear, collaborative and innovative. His technical legal work is top-notch and he's a genuine pleasure to work with.
Fraser Campbell – Blackstone ChambersHe is very collegiate and handles difficult clients with great diplomacy, tact and charm. His grasp of pensions law is extremely impressive.’
Nicholas HillOuter Temple ChambersHe can be relied on to fight his client’s corner with great skill, and is adept at finding innovative solutions. He has extensive knowledge of the legal issues which arise in pensions disputes.'
Naomi LingOuter Temple ChambersNaomi is an excellent technical lawyer. Her advice is comprehensible and direct, and she is not shy of challenging the views of those around her to secure the best for her client.’
Saul MargoOuter Temple ChambersSaul is impressive on his feet, with a pragmatic and measured style.’
James McCreathWilberforce ChambersHe’s a real superstar – very smart and gets to the nub of issues very quickly.
Elizabeth OveyRadcliffe ChambersElizabeth provides concise yet detailed advice.'
Henry DayRadcliffe Chambers ‘Henry has great experience in advising on pensions litigation. He provides lucid and succinct advice.
Wendy MathersRadcliffe ChambersA very strong advocate, who is sagacious and knowledgeable on pensions law.'
Saaman Pourghadiri 4 New SquareSaaman presents arguments clearly and persuasively, and demonstrates good judgement on which points to press and which to leave.'
Thomas RobinsonWilberforce ChambersThomas is fiercely intellectual, incredibly hardworking, and solutions-focused.'
Jennifer SeamanWilberforce ChambersA user-friendly junior with very strong analytical skills.'
Philip StearOuter Temple ChambersHis technical ability and critical analysis is of the highest standard.’
Michael UberoiOuter Temple ChambersAn excellent all rounder.
Chloe Bell3 Verulam BuildingsShe is a practical barrister, and is able to assimilate a substantial quantity of information at great speed. A good team player on large cases.'
Victoria BrownOuter Temple Chambers 'Solicitors would instruct her in a flash - she is approachable, friendly and level-headed.'
Jonathan ChewWilberforce Chambers 'He’s very bright and strategic, a tremendous team player who demonstrates great judgement.'
Elizabeth Grace  – Outer Temple ChambersA very responsive and practical junior, with a constructive and pragmatic approach to cases.'
Joseph SteadmanWilberforce ChambersJoseph is hugely talented, cogent and eloquent, with a sharp eye for detail.’

Rising Stars

Patrick Tomison  – Outer Temple ChambersPatrick has a real eye for the memorable turn of phrase that encapsulates everything you want to say about a case - something that will really lodge in the mind of the judge.’

Pensions in London Bar

Outer Temple Chambers


Outer Temple Chambers is 'a strong pensions set', and is well known for advising on pensions-related employment law matters. In a prominent case highlight, multiple members of the set - two silks and two juniors - appeared in Avon Cosmetics v Dalriada Trustees, in relation to an amendment being made to a pension scheme. The key issue of the matter focused on how to handle purported amendments to schemes made outside the scope of the amendment's power, and when aspects of the amendment may invalidate the entire amendment. In a separate matter, Nicolas Stallworthy KC and Nicholas Hill acted in the notable BRASS Trustees v Goldstone and The Pension Protection Fund case, which involved the first reported approval of an application claim brought by a trustee to wind up the pension scheme's sponsoring employers.

Les références

‘All of the clerks we have worked with have been excellent. We have been particularly impressed by Matt Sale, who is a pleasure to work with and really goes out of his way to ensure that the service being provided is of the highest standard.’

‘Excellent clerking services. Nicholas Levett is always responsive and great to deal with. We also rate Lexie Johnson.’

‘Nicholas Levett has been very helpful.’





Wilberforce Chambers


Wilberforce Chambers is 'well known in the pensions and trust law world'. Brian Green KC has an excellent track record in handling complex, high-profile pensions cases, and Michael Tennet KC is sought after for his expertise in assisting with pensions-related regulatory matters and professional negligence issues in the space. Among the junior end of chambers, Sebastian Allen is acting for the London Borough of Croyden in a longrunning dispute over how the Local Government Pension Scheme calculates contributions made by academy schools.

Les références

‘Fraser Geddes and Stewart Cameron are excellent at keeping us and counsel aligned with our work and with regard to deadlines and fees.’

‘The clerks have always been helpful and responsive. Conor Michaels has been consistently excellent.’

‘The clerks are very responsive. I’ve had exceptional service from Tara Shah.’





Radcliffe Chambers


Radcliffe Chambers is 'a well regarded chambers for pensions disputes'. Recent instructions for the group include Keith Rowley KC and Wendy Mathersacting in the high-profile Newell Trustees v Newell Rubbermaid UK Services case, a complex pension scheme dispute arising from the transfer of final salary arrangements to money purchase arrangements within the same scheme; key issues in the matter included the validity of amendments made by an interim deed, extrinsic contracts, and allegations of age discrimination.

Les références

‘All of the clerks we have dealt with have been very helpful, particularly John Clark.’

‘Radcliffe Chambers has a very good set of clerks. They are flexible and will work hard to come to an arrangement which meets the client’s needs. They are efficient and approachable.’

‘The clerks were very quick to respond, gave accurate fee estimates and were friendly and professional.’