News & Events
News & Events
Members of Outer Temple Chambers and the director, Steve Graham, are in Dubai this week for the major legal social event of the year. The quaintly named “Cirque du Loi”, the annual legal gala dinner now in its third year, is “an all in celebration of the Dubai Legal Community for the benefit of the DIFC Courts Pro Bono programme”. Heads of Chambers, Andrew Spink QC and Michael Bowes QC are joined by Keith Bryant QC, Michael Patchett-Joyce, Benjimin Burgher, Ali Almihdar, David Russell QC, and Samir Salloum. Ali Almihdar is also head of Almihdar Law Firm in Jeddah and he holds the unique status of being the first Saudi Arabian lawyer qualified as a member of the English Bar.…
News 9 Oct, 2014
We are delighted to note that Outer Temple has been commended in the FT’s Innovative Lawyers 2014 report, for our approach to managing change and for introducing “a new contribution structure to incentivise and retain high-earning barristers”. The restructuring came to the FT’s attention following a presentation by director, Christine Kings, to the Legal Futures Conference on new business structures in October 2013. Our restructuring reflects an enormous amount of effort and goodwill by all staff and barristers in Chambers and the determination and leadership of the three new heads, David Westcott QC, Michael Bowes QC and Andrew Spink QC. The changes were driven by the recognition that we need to respond quickly to opportunities in a fast moving market…
News 8 Oct, 2014
Fifteen Outer Temple barristers, including six QCs, and three Chambers directors will be in Dubai from 5th – 8th May meeting with, and presenting to, a range of organisations, local law firms and businesses. The visit includes a reception for around 70 guests at the Capital Club Dubai. The visit welcomes David Russell QC who has relocated his principal base to Dubai, marks the permanent presence of OTC in Dubai, and reaffirms the commitment of Outer Temple Chambers to working in the Middle East. Among those visiting Dubai is Ali Almihdar the only English-qualified barrister who is a Saudi lawyer; he is head of Almihdar Law Firm based in Jeddah. Andrew Spink QC, head of the business department at Outer Temple…
News 27 Apr, 2014
A landmark judgment has been handed down in the IBM Project Waltz proceedings, in which Outer Temple silks Andrew Spink QC and Nicolas Stallworthy QC appeared for the Trustee of IBM’s two principal UK defined benefit pension schemes and the Representative Beneficiaries respectively. In 2009 IBM announced that, with effect from 2011, the two schemes would close to further benefit accrual, IBM UK’s longstanding early retirement policy would become much more restrictive and salary increases would only be offered in future to members of the schemes if they signed “Non Pensionability Agreements” (under which any such increases would not count as “pensionable salary” so as to feed into the calculation of their past service benefits). This controversial package of proposals,…
News 6 Apr, 2014
The two Outer Temple Barristers are instructed by CMS Cameron McKenna partner Neil Smith in Merchant Navy Ratings Pension Fund Trustee Ltd v (1) Stena Line Ltd (2) P&O Ferries Ltd (3) Sealion Shipping Ltd (4) International Marine Transportation Ltd (5) Terence Brown. This mammoth case concerns the £272m pension deficit liabilities belonging to the Merchant Navy Ratings Pension Fund (MNRPF). At the heart of the dispute is how that liability should be apportioned between the participating employers of seamen employed in the British Merchant Navy. Around 240 employers have joined the MNRPF since its inception in 1978, including oil majors and the main players in the shipping industry, such as Stena and P&O. The proceedings concern the introduction of…
News 6 Jan, 2014
Three members of Outer Temple Chambers’ pensions team appeared before Sales J in the Chancery Division on 30 January 2013. MAN Truck and Bus UK Ltd applied successfully for summary judgment in its claim for rectification of the Rules of the MAN UK Pension Scheme. MAN is the latest in a series of successful claims for rectification of pension scheme documentation including IAC (involving, Richard Hitchcock, James Rickards, Keith Bryant and David Grant) and IBM (involving Andrew Spink QC and Nicolas Stallworthy QC). As well as confirming the appropriate legal test to be applied on an application for rectification of a pension scheme, the MAN case is notable in that it succeeded notwithstanding the delay of 13 years between discovery of…
News 31 Jan, 2013
Outer Temple Chambers was strongly represented in a bespoke Bar Council delegation visiting New York (April 15 – 19, 2012), attending the American Bar Association’s Section of International Law conference. Richard Lissack QC, Gerard McDermott QC and Andrew Spink QC were all participating in a visit organised by the Council to promote the advocacy and advisory services of the English Bar to a key US marketplace. The visit featured various speaking and networking events, providing opportunities to engage with US businesses, in-house and other counsel, diplomats and legal bodies such as the NY State Bar and UN. Outer Temple Chambers has a developing international dimension, with offices in New York and Abu Dhabi, as well as its London HQ and offices in…
News 16 Apr, 2012
