Pensions
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Pensions

Our large team has the experience to help you address your current and future pension needs. Whether you are an employer, trustee or pensions professional, our focus is on providing clear advice. Our size, experience, knowledge and skills mean we can advise you on a broad range of pension issues – from the day-to-day to the unusual.
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We have provided specialist pensions advice for over 30 years.

Our pensions team is one of the largest City-based pensions teams advising both pension scheme trustees and sponsors. We provide "full service" pensions legal advice and not simply a "corporate support" service. The typical services we provide include:

  • preparing various governing and amending scheme documentation, using our own precedent documents to ensure we provide a cost-effective service to our clients
  • advising on questions of interpretation of scheme documents, what benefits the rules provide and what formalities are required for different decisions
  • negotiating contracts with service providers, including scheme administrators, investment management and bulk annuity documentation, and advising on any disputes that arise
  • dealing with member benefit queries and disputes, from informal queries through to complaints to the Pensions Ombudsman
  • preparing policy documents, ensuring consistency in on particular issues
  • resolving issues with historic documentation
  • clearance applications and liaison with the Pensions Regulator
  • restructuring and insolvency solutions
  • advising on corporate acquisitions, disposals, mergers, demergers and reorganisations on pension schemes
  • providing mediation services to the pensions industry.

Our pensions expertise stretches across the firm, and we have dedicated specialists to assist in all pensions related issues.

Visit our pensions hub

Please see our statement of investment principles below:

Stephenson Harwood Pension Scheme - May 2023 Statement of Investment Principles

Stephenson Harwood Pension Scheme - Implementation Statement 2023

"Stephenson Harwood provides a wide range of skill and knowledge with a dedicated team servicing our needs."
Chambers UK 2023

Trustees of the Barnardo Staff Pension Scheme, Construction of RPI

Advised the trustees on a claim for construction of the definition of "Retail Prices Index" in the scheme rules (Miles Buckinghamshire and others v Barnardo's and others [2015]).

Pension fund claim against global fund manager

Advising the trustee board of a multi-billion pound pension fund in relation to a multi-million pound claim against one of the world's largest fund managers for negligence and breach of investment mandate.

Pension scheme dispute

Acting for a financial institution in defending claims in a complex multi-party dispute in respect of a pension scheme.

Impact of company sale on pensions

Advised the trustee of a multi-national healthcare company on the potential debt arising in relation to its pension plan as a result of a sale and the management/reduction of that debt.

Bulk annuity purchase

Advising the Jardine Lloyd Thompson pension scheme trustees on purchasing a series of bulk annuity policies from the Prudential covering approximately £210 million of liabilities in aggregate.

PLC internal reorganisation

Advising on the pensions aspect of an internal re-organisation involving the triggering of debts on employers due to the pension fund and negotiating parent guarantees to the pension fund.

Board of the Pension Protection Fund (PPF), change in levy calculation

Advised in relation to a unique and multi-disciplined project changing the calculation of the PPF levy.

Our pensions expertise stretches across the firm, and we have dedicated specialists to assist:

Private wealth

Advise on legal and tax issues affecting offshore pensions, in particular occupational schemes created by employers for non-domiciled employees, known as IPPs. In addition, we advise on all aspects of QROPS, acting for both trustees and the members.

Regulatory compliance

Advise on investment management/advisory agreements and related regulatory issues, including the custody/client money rules. Our Regulatory Compliance and Litigation teams work closely to assist clients in their interactions with the FCA, from initial queries from the regulator through to section 166 skilled persons reports and contentious enforcement actions.

Real Estate

Act on behalf of pension funds for all aspects of real estate investment, development and management including a number of funds that are managed by LaSalle Investment Management.

Lawyer

Helena Berman Partner

T:  +44 20 7809 2196
M:  Email Helena | Vcard Office:  London

Lawyer

Philip Goodchild Partner

T:  +44 20 7809 2166
M:  +44 7825 384 004 Email Philip | Vcard Office:  London

Latest news & insights

16 Nov 2023

From Insights

Pensions snapshot - November 2023

This edition of snapshot looks at the latest legal developments in pensions.

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31 Oct 2023

From Insights

Pensions podcasts

The Stephenson Harwood pensions podcasts provide an overview of key legal developments relating to occupational pension scheme and how they impact scheme members, trus..

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24 Oct 2023

From Insights

Pensions snapshot - October 2023

This edition of snapshot looks at the latest legal developments in pensions.

More

22 Sep 2023

From Insights

Pensions snapshot - September 2023

This edition of snapshot looks at the latest legal developments in pensions.

More

22 Jun 2023

From Insights

Pensions snapshot - June 2023

This edition of snapshot looks at the latest legal developments in pensions.

More

26 May 2023

From Insights

Pensions snapshot - May 2023

This edition of snapshot looks at the latest legal developments in pensions.

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23 Mar 2023

From Insights

Pensions snapshot - March 2023

This edition of snapshot looks at the latest legal developments in pensions.

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15 Mar 2023

From Insights

What does the Spring Budget 2023 mean for pension savers?

The focus of today's Spring Budget was growth. "Prosperity with purpose", based on 4 pillars of industrial growth.

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27 Feb 2023

From Insights

Pensions snapshot - February 2023

This edition of snapshot looks at the latest legal developments in pensions.

More

13 Feb 2023

From Insights

Transfers out – are trustees at a greater risk than they realise?

In an article published by Professional Pensions, partner Stephen Richards and senior knowledge development lawyer Julia Ward, discuss transfers out, and whether trust..

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19 Jan 2023

From Insights

Pensions snapshot - January 2023

This edition of snapshot looks at the latest legal developments in pensions.

More

20 Dec 2022

From Insights

Pensions snapshot - December 2022

This edition of snapshot looks at the latest legal developments in pensions.

More

14 Nov 2022

From Insights

Pensions snapshot - November 2022

This edition of snapshot looks at the latest legal developments in pensions.

More

26 Sep 2022

From Insights

Pension schemes and inflation

In the 12 months to August 2022, RPI has increased by 12.3% and CPI 9.9%. With this recent significant rise in inflation, employers and trustees have been asking what ..

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07 Sep 2022

From Insights

Court declares change of RPI to CPIH lawful

A number of pension funds have challenged the decision of the then-Chancellor and the UKSA to align RPI with CPIH. In this alert we discuss the outcome of that challen..

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22 Aug 2022

From Insights

Pensions snapshot - August 2022

This edition of snapshot looks at the latest legal developments in pensions.

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© Stephenson Harwood LLP 2016. Any reference to Stephenson Harwood in this document means Stephenson Harwood LLP and/or its affiliated undertakings. Any reference to a partner is used to refer to a member of Stephenson Harwood LLP.