Victoria is a civil and commercial practitioner with a particular focus on pensions and employment who regularly acts in professional negligence and public law cases across her areas of specialism.
Victoria has been recognised in pensions and employment by the Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners for a number of years. She has a particularly strong reputation in the crossover between the two, and has acted in a number of the leading cases in this area. Victoria regularly appears as sole counsel in courts and tribunals, as well as being led, 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 a number of international administrative tribunals, including the World Bank Administrative Tribunal and the Organisation of American States Administrative Tribunal.
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.
Victoria’s employment practice spans both advisory and contentious work in the Tribunals and High Court. She regularly represents clients across the breadth of statutory employment law, with particular experience in complex discrimination and whistleblowing matters. Her High Court work includes acting for individuals and current & former employers in respect of team moves, breach of confidence and springboard relief. Victoria’s advisory practice spans opinions and policy drafting, covering both black letter law and topical matters such as social media and dress code policies. She is familiar with exit negotiations on behalf of employees and employers, as well as advising during disciplinary and/or grievance processes.
Victoria is frequently instructed by global and national companies, including those listed in the FTSE 100. Victoria is also experienced in acting for public authorities and local governments, including Transport for London and the Prison Service. She regularly represents individual claimants, senior executives and unions.
She also advises on and acts in discrimination claims in the County Courts, including services and government / public function claims.
Victoria is adept at managing and conducting internal investigations. The breadth of Victoria’s practice allows her to recognise and manage consequential legal risks, whether commercial or employment related. Victoria accepts instructions in investigations dealing with the full range of misconduct, regulatory and internal disputes.
Victoria acts for the claimants represented by Leigh Day in the first of the mass retail equal pay claims, including representing those claimants as sole counsel in the EAT.
McCloud v MOJ & Lord Chancellor
Direct age discrimination, indirect discrimination and equal pay claims brought by judges in respect of the civil service pension reforms.
Rooney v Leicester City Council
One of the earlier claims of disability discrimination relying on the menopause which has received a lot of press coverage. More coverage in The Guardian and BBC.
Pady v HMRC & Others
At the EAT only, a group claim of direct age discrimination in respect of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme involving arguments of abuse of process regarding stayed claimants seeking not to be bound by the determination of sample claims.
Pestell v South Somerset District Council
Constructive unfair dismissal claim brought by the CEO following high profile. More coverage on BBC and Times UK.
Represented the claimant in a race and sex discrimination claim against a private office and multiple individuals involving complicated points of the territorial jurisdiction of the Equality Act 2010 against individual respondents.
E & D v World Bank
Representing two senior executives in respect of an unfair redundancy exercise.
Griner v Organisation of American States
Victoria represented the applicant who was vindicated after being dismissed for leaking confidential (mis)information relating to an anti-corruption mission. The claim resulted in a change to the applicable standard of proof for serious misconduct.
A v Islamic Development Bank
Victoria acted for the applicant in the first ever matter before the Islamic Development Bank Administrative Tribunal.
KS v Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Successfully defended a multi-track negligent reference trial.
AB v A Public Authority
Represented the claimant in a sex discrimination claim involving sexual assault by a senior executive at the respondent.
Victoria has a broad practice in pensions. She has advised in relation to Part 8 claims involving construction, rectification, equalisation, revaluation and overriding statutory powers. Victoria regularly advises public authorities and their employees, particularly in relation to misrepresentation claims and the limits of powers and/or discretions.
Victoria also frequently acts in professional negligence claims against legal and actuarial advisers, including invalid scheme documentation and failed amendments (including estoppel, extrinsic contract and misrepresentation issues). She regularly advises on limitation problems and complicated issues of loss.
Pennon
An unusual application by a Trustee for the Court to exercise its jurisdiction under section 57 of the Trustee Act 1925 to grant the Trustee power to make changes to the scheme’s deed & rules which are specifically prohibited by the scheme’s amendment power.
Re: The Pensions Trust
A huge Part 8 action concerning a sectionalised scheme which has c.2,600 employers and 389,000 members.
D v PPF & DWP
Acted for the Secretary of State for the DWP in respect of a claim of indirect discrimination relating to pensions legislation.
the £60m multiparty professional negligence claim arising from the judgment of Newey J in Re Gleeds. Acting for the Defendant Solicitors. The interlocutory judgment concerning without prejudice privilege is reported at [2019] EWHC 102 (Ch).
McCloud v MOJ & Lord Chancellor
Direct age discrimination, indirect discrimination and equal pay claims brought by judges in respect of the civil service pension reforms.
E v A Public Authority
Acting for a public authority in a Pensions Ombudsman claim by their CEO.
N v A Chief Constable
Advising in respect of forfeiture following criminal activity.
S v A Fire Authority
Advising in respect of the definition of ‘pensionable pay’.
Victoria has advised on and acted in a range of public law matters, including a challenge to the Spare Room Subsidy (colloquially known as the “Bedroom Tax”) and discrimination claims against public authorities.
Victoria has significant experience in immigration and asylum, having worked for UKVI before coming to the Bar. At UKVI Victoria was one of two individuals responsible for the management of Court of Appeal and Supreme Court cases and assisted with ECHR cases.
Victoria Brown is regulated by the Bar Standards Board (BSB) and holds a current practising certificate. If you are not satisfied with the service provided, please click here.
To find out more, contact Matt Sale on +44 (0)20 7427 4910 or Lexie Johnson on + 44 (0) 207 427 0801 for a confidential discussion.
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