Profile

• BA (Hons) (Double 1st class) Modern History, Merton College, University of Oxford (Postmaster senior scholarship)
• MSc Comparative Politics, London School of Economics
• PGDL, City University (Winner of the 11KBW prize for Public Law; finalist in the Maitland Chambers Advocacy Competition)
• BVC (Outstanding), BPP, London (Middle Temple Baron Dr Ver Hayden de Lancey prize for outstanding performance)
• Member of ELA
• Called: 2008 (Middle Temple) (Lord Diplock Major Scholarship)

Steven became a tenant in September 2009 after the successful completion of his pupillage. His supervisors were John Crosfill, Ruth Cabeza, Jonathan Cowen and Adrian Davis. Steven is developing a practice across the range of chambers' specialisations. He is particularly interested in cases involving employment, property and public/local government law.

Steven has recently returned to chambers after spending 6 months as a Judicial Assistant to Lord Justice Pill, one of the most senior Court of Appeal judges. This experience gave Steven a particular insight into the appellate process and to the advocacy which has most impact with judges. He worked on numerous high profile cases directly relevant to the range of chambers' practice areas.

Prior to coming to the bar Steven worked for several years in public policy research and consultancy for a thinktank and also gained experience of European public policy, undertaking a "stage" in the European Commission, Directorate-General for Employment and Social Affairs. He carried out projects on behalf of both local authorities and central government departments and therefore has a thorough understanding of the public sector and of the policy context for local government law, employment law and social welfare law in particular. He also taught European Union Law as a Teaching Fellow on the PGDL at City University while doing the BVC and is happy working on cases with European law aspects.

Steven is a FRU representative for social security and employment and is willing to work on a CFA basis in a suitable case.

PRACTICE

EMPLOYMENT

Steven advises and represents employees and employers alike in employment tribunals in case management discussions, pre-hearing reviews and final hearings. He has experience of advising and representing clients in cases involving ordinary and constructive unfair dismissal, discrimination, unlawful deduction of wages, breach of contract and questions relating to parental leave. During pupillage Steven assisted in producing opinions and drafting documents across the range of employment work. He assisted in the preparation of Wooster v London Borough of Tower Hamlets UKEAT/0441/08 (appeal to Court of Appeal pending) (whether dismissal of an employee prior to his entitlement to enhanced pension rights was discriminatory on the grounds of age). While at the Court of Appeal Steven was involved in numerous employment cases, including Gibson v Sheffield City Council [2010] EWCA Civ 63 (circumstances in which prima facie indirect discrimination is made out in cases of equal pay). 

PUBLIC AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Steven accepts instructions in all areas of public and local government law. During pupillage he assisted in producing opinions and drafting judicial review grounds in a range of public law matters, gaining particular exposure to local government law, housing/homelessness and community care law (both adults and children), including local authorities' duties towards people from abroad. He assisted in R (AC) v Birmingham City Council [2008] EWHC 3036 (Admin) (decision of Court of Appeal pending)(interface of Schedule 3 of Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002, human rights and immigration policy) and R (Hillingdon London Borough Council and others) v Lord Chancellor and another [2008] EWHC 2683 (Admin). While at the Court of Appeal, Steven was involved in numerous local government and public law cases including R (Zarzour) v London Borough of Hillingdon (Court of Appeal, 17 December 2009) (application of s.21(1)(a) of National Assistance Act 1948 to blind asylum seeker who local authority asserted was capable of independent living after initial period of assistance), R (Servier) v National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence [2010] EWCA Civ 346 (adequacy of reasons in refusal to recommend drug) and R (Valentines Homes) v HMRC [2010] EWCA Civ 345 (whether appropriate to launch judicial review proceedings where public law defence to debt could have been taken in county court).

Steven also had exposure to asylum and immigration law during pupillage and is available to appear in the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal. While at the Court of Appeal he worked on numerous immigration cases, including Etti-Adegbola v SSHD [2009] EWCA Civ 1319 (whether family life engaged in relationship between adult child and parent).

CIVIL

Steven acts and advises across the range of chambers' civil law specialisms and is available for both interim applications and trials. He has acted or advised in insolvency, landlord and tenant, mortgage possession and general negligence and contract disputes. He also gained experience during pupillage of advising and drafting in relation to partnership disputes, restrictive covenants, breach of fiduciary duties, insurance, fraud, undue influence and TOLATA claims.

During his time at the Court of Appeal Steven gained experience of a broad range of civil litigation and assisted in several high profile civil cases including Apostolides v Orams [2010] EWCA Civ 9 (Northern Cyprus property case - scope of public policy defence in the Judgment Regulation; approach to alleged apparent bias on part of ECJ).

FAMILY

Steven accepts instructions across all areas of family work and has had particular experience of children cases (both public and private) and Family Law Act cases relating to domestic violence. He has represented parents, local authorities and guardians in care proceedings and parents and local authorities in residence, contact and other Part 8 disputes. He also frequently appears in ex parte and return date domestic violence hearings. During pupillage Steven also had exposure to Hague Convention and Brussels II cases and assisted in S v Slough County Council [2008] EWHC 3013 (Fam) (whether mother who had knowingly sent her child to the UK to work illegally could bring Hague Convention proceedings against a local authority which put the child into protective care). Steven also worked on ancillary relief cases and on cases involving surrogacy law and assisted in X & Y (Foreign Surrogacy) [2008] EWHC 3030 (Fam).  

If you would like any further information regarding Steven Fuller's practice please contact his clerks or call +44 (0)207 405 6114.