Article
1 May 2025
6 minute read
Why choose me
I specialise in pensions law as it’s a highly technical, niche area which plays to my best interests. Pensions work allows me to get fully across the detail of a matter, understand the facts, apply critical thinking skills and formulate persuasive, evidence-backed arguments. I provide my clients with a comprehensive picture of the issue at hand, but ensure my advice is easily-digestible and supported by thorough legal analysis.
My clients, and those I work alongside, include independent and lay trustees, scheme actuaries, risk transfer advisors, and directors and managers of sponsoring employers of pension schemes. I specialise in risk transfer and winding-up advice, including advising on relevant member communications required by legislation. I also advise and provide support in respect of governing documentation for pension schemes, such as amendments, resolutions, trustee structure changes, and consolidations. Additionally, I assist with member benefit queries, employer covenant issues, the implications of the decision in Virgin Media Ltd v NTL Pension Trustees II Ltd and others, reporting obligations to the Pensions Regulator, and due diligence reporting on corporate transactions, including issues surrounding auto-enrolment.
Outside of work, my passions include gaming, travelling, and spending quality time with family and friends – which recently has included taking part in high ropes and zip wires in preparation for a charity abseil!
I specialise in pensions law as it’s a highly technical, niche area which plays to my best interests. Pensions work allows me to get fully across the detail of a matter, understand the facts, apply critical thinking skills and formulate persuasive, evidence-backed arguments. I provide my clients with a comprehensive picture of the issue at hand, but ensure my advice is easily-digestible and supported by thorough legal analysis.
My clients, and those I work alongside, include independent and lay trustees, scheme actuaries, risk transfer advisors, and directors and managers of sponsoring employers of pension schemes. I specialise in risk transfer and winding-up advice, including advising on relevant member communications required by legislation. I also advise and provide support in respect of governing documentation for pension schemes, such as amendments, resolutions, trustee structure changes, and consolidations. Additionally, I assist with member benefit queries, employer covenant issues, the implications of the decision in Virgin Media Ltd v NTL Pension Trustees II Ltd and others, reporting obligations to the Pensions Regulator, and due diligence reporting on corporate transactions, including issues surrounding auto-enrolment.
Outside of work, my passions include gaming, travelling, and spending quality time with family and friends – which recently has included taking part in high ropes and zip wires in preparation for a charity abseil!
Related services and specialisms from HCR Law
Questions my clients ask me
We would advise trustees to trigger winding-up ahead of a buy-out should they wish to obtain the statutory discharge of liabilities under section 74 of the Pensions Act 1995. However, there are also other trustee protection provisions available, such as indemnities and insurance, should this not be desirable.
There may often be a conflict between the trustees’ interest in protecting members’ benefits and the employer’s interest in keeping the costs of the scheme down. Conflicts of interest can become acute where anyone senior from a sponsoring employer is also a trustee. The Pensions Regulator views the management of conflicts of interest as being key to good scheme governance and expects conflicts to be identified, monitored and managed. Not doing so can affect the validity of decision-making. The regulator expects trustees to seek legal advice where material conflicts are identified to help ascertain the best way to manage or avoid them.
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