Ivan Wilkinson

Full Profile

Ivan has specialised, for over 20 years, in pensions disputes and other complex professional liability disputes, such as those arising in the financial services and tax contexts.  

He has acted in relation to numerous proceedings involving pension scheme remediation and/or professional liability claims. He is a full member of the Association of Pension Lawyers.

Recognition in the Legal 500 includes the following:

“Ivan Wilkinson has excellent analytical skills with a strong understanding of pensions litigation.” (2021)

“Ivan Wilkinson is an excellent lawyer (technically) but also a really far-sighted thinker (strategically) and great to work with.  Meticulous in thinking through all the angles, so that you’re never out-flanked.” (2021)

“Ivan Wilkinson is a terrific lawyer. He combines great technical knowledge with an unrivalled analytical ability. He masters the detail, the big picture and the tactical issues. He is a joy to work with.” (2021)

He was educated at Oxford University, where he obtained a first class degree, and the College of Law. He qualified at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, where he worked for a number of years as a member of the banking and financial services group.

Over the years he has contributed to many specialist journals and spoken regularly on professional liability, financial services and pensions issues.

Experience

• Advising in relation to numerous professional liability claims against large law firms, typically involving pensions advice and/or complex corporate transactions.
• Acting for one of the defendants in high-profile multi-party proceedings in the Chancery Division, arising from the invalidity of various pensions deeds, reported (on an interlocutory basis) in Briggs, Gleeds & others v Alexander Clay & others [2019] EWHC 102 (Ch).
• Acting for defendant in multi-million pound Chancery Division pension proceedings relating to failed scheme amendment and associated "loss of a chance" issues.
• Advising a large financial institution on its strategy to address a prominent class of misselling claims, including judicial review of regulatory body, and multi-million pound compensation claims against various other financial services providers.
• Advising numerous claimants regarding claims over the misselling of investment bonds and interest rate swaps, including acting for the claimant in Sir Keith Mills v Coutts & Co, Chancery Division, December 2012 (a case relating to AIG Life investment bonds).
• Advising financial institutions regarding potential claims arising, variously, from the trading of warrants, structured notes and other derivatives.
• Also advising in relation to claims against surveyors and valuers, including a £100m Commercial Court claim against a leading international firm.
• Acted for KPMG joint liquidators in various English and US litigation arising from the TXU insolvency, including the proceedings reported in Gold Fields Mining LLC v Tucker and Spratt [2010] EWHC 2307 Ch.

• High Court proceedings: Gleeds Pension Scheme - Acting for defendant firm in negligence proceedings relating to the conduct, and resolution by way of compromise scheme, of the Briggs v Gleeds (Part 8) proceedings.  Reported, on interlocutory basis, as Briggs v Clay [2019] at EWHC 102 (Ch).

• Construction and rectification issues: High Court - Advising in relation to various current/recent construction and rectification applications in the High Court and associated negligence claims against Scheme advisers.

• Scheme segregation - Advising in relation to issues regarding Scheme segregation, under the Occupational Pension Schemes (Employer  Debt) Regulations 2005, including associated Part 8 (remedial) and Part 7 (negligence) claims.

Ivan has also had extensive experience of claims against accountancy firms, including acting as lead associate for the defendant in Equitable Life Assurance Company v Ernst & Young (Commercial Court 2005), the defence team winning each of the 2005 “Legal Week”, “Legal Business” and “The Lawyer” Litigation Team of the Year awards.