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Freeths - Law firm

Pensions Law

Common sense advice for the future

What is involved?

The regulation of pension schemes is complex, sometimes counter-intuitive and still evolving.

We deliver clear targeted advice in all areas of pensions law for our clients, allowing them to achieve their objectives as quickly, and with as few hurdles, as possible. We tailor our advice to ensure that we deliver what is required by decision makers. We are subject matter specialists but also deeply commercial and not afraid to share our views on what is ‘market’ and what is not when advocating for our clients’ interests.

Our clients include UK corporates (and their overseas parents), pension trustees, investors, lenders, local authorities, charities, SSAS and SIPP operators and other law firms

Our team comprises lawyers who have worked in some of the largest pensions law teams of global and national law firms. With that experience you can be confident there aren’t many aspects of pensions legal work they haven’t undertaken.  But as subject matter experts, we are also ready to meet the new challenges and problems which are ‘on the horizon’ as pensions law continues to evolve.

 

Our areas of expertise with pensions

We advise across the full range of pensions law but some of our core areas are set out below.

  • Public sector pensions: advising private sector employers and public sector bodies on issues arising out of the operation of public sector arrangements (including admission terms and exit debts) including the LGPS, TPS and CSPS.
  • Scheme funding: supporting sponsoring employers and trustees in scheme funding negotiations and advising on tailored funding arrangements including asset backed contribution structures and contingent funding agreements (triggered on, for example, corporate disposals).
  • Security: advising on the grant of security by sponsoring employers (including use of contingent assets recognised by the Pension Protection Fund) as part of scheme funding negotiations or as mitigation for corporate activity.
  • Investment: advising on pension law aspects of investment and on investment management agreements, fiduciary management agreements, custody agreements and platform provider terms.
  • Regulatory actions: advising potential ‘targets’ of the Pensions Regulator’s ‘moral hazard’ powers (including financial support direction power) on their options and negotiating settlement of proposed regulatory action (including drafting settlement agreements).
  • Insured transactions: advising employers and trustees on the terms of bulk purchase annuity transactions as part of ‘buy-in’ and ‘buyout’ projects with recent projects concluded with insurers Legal & General, Aviva and Rothesay Life.
  • M&A: advising on the pension implications of corporate activity (whether buy side or sell side) including the scope and application of TUPE, liabilities associated with public sector pension protections and managing risks arising from the Pensions Regulator’s ‘moral hazard’ powers.
  • Restructuring (solvent and insolvent): supporting our restructuring team when dealing with the pension implications of employer group reorganisations and restructuring (including ‘distressed’ employer scenarios).
  • Scheme merger/reconstruction: advising on the establishment, closure, merger and reconstruction of occupational pension schemes including as part of harmonisation projects and as a preliminary step to ‘buyout’.
  • Disputes: advising in relation to member disputes (including complaints to the Pensions Ombudsman and claims brought under Part 8 of the Civil Procedure Rules concerning the correct interpretation of pension scheme rules.
  • Automatic Enrolment: advising companies on their ongoing employer duties in respect of automatic enrolment, undertaking audits on a company’s current automatic enrolment arrangements to determine compliance with the employer’s statutory obligations and advising on automatic enrolment breaches.
  • SSASs and SIPPs: advising both SSAS and SIPP trustees, providers and administrators, assisting and advising with regards to member disputes and preparation of scheme governing documentation.

 

Key contacts

Kim Jones
Partner

0345 166 6274

Alternatively complete the form below:

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Meet the team

Pensions Law Lawyers


Kim Jones
Partner

0345 166 6274

Maxwell Ballad
Director

0345 030 5863

Nigel Jones
Director

0113 246 2157

Related news
More related news, articles and events for Pensions Law
Testimonials

"I thought the Pensions team at Freeths dealt with everything very professionally and in good time throughout. I really enjoyed working with the team."

(HR Director of a large military charity)

‘The team are innovative and have strong technical capabilities. They have been able to identify innovative solutions for complex issues.’

(The Legal 500, 2024)

‘Freeths provides a team with a combination of strong commercial understanding of small and medium-sized entities with great technical knowledge of pensions law.’

(The Legal 500, 2024)

"Freeths provides a team with a combination of strong commercial understanding of small and medium-sized entities with great technical knowledge of pensions law."

(The Legal 500, 2024)

"Kim Jones is personable and attentive, ensuring excellent client services are delivered."

(The Legal 500, 2024)

"Nigel Jones has strong technical knowledge and is able to identify innovative solutions for complex issues."

(The Legal 500, 2024)

“Kim Jones is a very personable partner, with great communication skills and commercial acumen."

(The Legal 500, 2024)

"Nigel Jones is a really good lawyer who combines technical capability with the ability to create practical solutions."

(The Legal 500, 2024)

“Kim is an outstanding pensions lawyer with a deep understanding and experience of client’s issues. She combines strong technical knowledge with a commercial and strategic approach which helps clients to focus on the material issues and work in partnership to build pragmatic solutions. She has very good interpersonal and client relationship skills ensuring that she develops strong relationships with key stakeholders.”

"The [pensions] team at Freeths have a deep commercial understanding, allowing them to tailor their advice to the needs of their clients. They work hard to identify a client’s objectives, allowing them to provide support that is both proactive and focused."

(The Legal 500, 2021)

Notable Work
  • Successfully acting for an employer in defending a pensions litigation matter concerning the operation of the Section 75 debt regime following a second stage outsourcing.
  • A particularly significant deal/case recently advising a corporate client, which is part of a larger group of companies in the aviation sector. Initially on an auction process for the acquisition of the entire share capital and business assets of a ground handling company from two major global airlines acting under a JV which was a £14 million deal.
  • We were involved in a firm-wide team effort on due diligence to identify any potential deal breakers. The JV operated two schemes with defined benefit liabilities and a legacy DB deficit. Following a successful bidding process we had only four weeks to negotiate a flexible apportionment arrangement before Christmas, agreeing the document with the vendors and trustees of the Pension Scheme. We reached a successful outcome for our client who did not take on any of the DB liabilities and was able to acquire the Target to further its business expansion to operate not only out of London City airport but also London Heathrow.
  • Reviewing and advising investment management clients in relation to funds they offer their trustee clients.
  • Advising employers and trustee clients on de-risking strategies for closed defined benefit schemes. Particularly Pension Increase Exchange exercises, project managing and working with our commercial colleagues on data sharing agreements to ensure our client’s compliance with data protection legislation.
  • Corporate support involving defined benefit liabilities and negotiating on apportionment arrangements, carving out DB liabilities, negotiating with Trustees on a large scale M & A transaction.

Client service

‘Doing the right thing’ is at the heart of Freeths. Find out more about our excellent client service and the strong set of values that guide the way we work.

Our values

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Talk to us

Freeths are a leading national law firm with 13 offices across the UK. If you have a query about our services or just want to find out more, why not give us a call?

Contact: 03301 001 014

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