Victoria Brown

Year of Call:
2014
Direct Access:
Yes

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.

Expertise

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.

Notable Employment, Discrimination & Investigations cases


Asda Equal Pay litigation

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.

Mehta v KRF UK & Others

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.

Notable Pensions & Trusts cases


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.

Briggs & ors v Clay & ors

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.

Related updates

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.

"She produces clear-cut advice and is willing to give views on tricky technical points."; "Victoria is a strong barrister with genuine expertise."

Pensions ,Chambers & Partners 2025

"Victoria is one of my first choices for Counsel."; "Victoria is excellent to work with; thorough, astute and technically sound."

Employment, Chambers & Partners 2025

'Solicitors would instruct her in a flash - she is approachable, friendly and level-headed.'

Pensions, Legal 500 2025

'She knows the law backwards but holds her brightness lightly, and is a great asset when in the trenches of long running litigation.'

Employment, Legal 500 2025

"Victoria is one of my first choices for counsel. She is great to work with, enthusiastic and never cuts corners. She is very strong on cases involving novel issues. I 100% trust her with clients."; "She is absolutely brilliant to work with. She is on top of the law, very good at seeing the wood for the trees as well as dialing things down in difficult situations with a phenomenal amount of tact."; "Victoria is excellent. She’s extremely assured, very well prepared and has a great manner with clients and witnesses alike."

Employment, Chambers & Partners 2024

"Victoria is mature beyond her year of call in terms of being a legal sounding board."; "Victoria is an outstanding barrister and an asset to Outer Temple. She is hard-working, communicative and a real team player. Her technical skills are first-rate; her drafting is clear and concise, and she always takes a reasoned and decisive view in advice."

Pensions, Chambers & Partners 2024

‘Victoria is an excellent junior. She can see the wood for the trees and is compelling in court.'

Employment, Legal 500, 2024

“Victoria's advocacy is excellent; she deals with complex issues with confidence and performs at a level far beyond her year of call.”

Employment, Chambers and Partners 2023

"Impressive ability to handle and digest large volumes of complex material in a short timeframe. Excellent teamwork and collaboration skills, and her drafting style is persuasive and clear."

Victoria Brown, Pensions, Legal 500 2023

"Victoria’s advocacy is excellent and she performs at a level far beyond her years of call. She is enthusiastic, and in discrimination cases she goes above and beyond in terms of the level of preparation and work done. She dealt with complex issues with confidence, including addressing novel points argued by the other sides; and her advice helped us to cut through the case’s complexities."

Employment, Legal 500 2023

"She has excellent interpersonal skills. Super in a stressful situation. A real team player who is an asset to any team."

Pensions, Legal 500 2022

"Victoria grasps the detail of the case at the early stages, and has a calm and friendly demeanour. She is pragmatic, well prepared and presents very persuasive arguments with a clear attention to detail - Victoria immediately puts the witnesses at ease, and delivers detailed and succinct arguments."

Employment, Legal 500 2022

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.

Our dedicated practice management team can help you identify the right barrister for your case.

  • Recommended by Legal 500 UK for Employment and Pensions

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