We are recognised as a leading chambers for complex, high-value pensions disputes and have been involved, at both silk and junior level, in many of the leading pensions cases in recent years, including several of The Lawyer’s top 20 cases. Notable recent examples include the British Airways pension scheme litigation, the Lloyds Bank GMP equalisation case, and the Barnardo’s litigation concerning the use of RPI for uprating scheme benefits.
Our expertise in pensions law is complemented by our experience in important related areas such as trusts, professional negligence, corporate insolvency and commercial disputes.
We act in relation to large and small occupational pension schemes; personal pension schemes including small self-administered schemes and self-invested personal pensions; pension schemes created by statute such as the Local Government Pension Scheme, the Teachers’ Pension Scheme and the Universities Superannuation Scheme; and also pension schemes established in overseas jurisdictions.
Our expertise includes construction and rectification claims; trustee duties; revaluation, indexation and RPI vs CPI; mergers and wind-ups; issues concerning the Pension Protection Fund and the Financial Assistance Scheme; regulatory matters; pensions-related professional negligence disputes; and complaints to and appeals from the Pensions Ombudsman and the Financial Ombudsman Service.
We appear regularly before the appellate courts, the High Court, the Pensions Ombudsman and the Determinations Panel of the Pensions Regulator. We are also frequently instructed to provide advice in respect of non-contentious issues, including issues which arise as part of larger corporate transactions, and to assist in drafting pension scheme and other pensions-related documentation.
Our clients include scheme trustees, employers, individual members, insurers, scheme administrators and advisers and regulatory bodies including the Pensions Regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority and the Pension Protection Fund.
Barristers in chambers are active members of the Association of Pension Lawyers and regularly present lectures and seminars to the Association, at solicitors’ firms, in-house and elsewhere.
