Trustees

Being a pension scheme trustee is becoming more and more demanding. Trustees need to keep up to date with all the latest developments in pensions law and practice in order to meet their growing responsibilities.

We can help you to understand what these responsibilities are by providing straightforward and practical advice. We can advise on technical and legal issues to help give legal certainty in difficult situations.

We can help with:

• managing scheme deficits and surpluses
  
• managing conflicts of interest
  
• explaining trustees’ duties and responsibilities
  
• explaining trustee protection and risk management
  
• the exercise of trustee discretions
  
• the legal and practical operation of the trustee board and whether and how to delegate responsibilities
  
• the requirements of the scheme’s documents
  
• the regulatory regime, including the Pensions Regulator, the Pension Protection Fund and the Revenue
  
• the management of scheme deficits and surpluses
  
• scheme changes, mergers, reorganisations, closures and wind-ups
  
• compliance issues, including advising on existing and forthcoming legislation
  
• pension scheme audits and due diligence reports
  
• third party contracts, including investment management and consultancy agreements
  
• employee literature and communications to members
  
• scheme documents, including overhauls and updates

When preparing and reviewing documents we aim to highlight issues which may require further attention.

We can advise on every type of pension arrangement, from the very largest occupational pension schemes to small self-administered schemes and unapproved arrangements, both funded and unfunded.

It is not unusual for commercial properties to be funded through pension schemes and we are familiar with all the requirements, rules and regulations that apply. We also have experience of property transfers between different types of pension schemes, and can advise on related issues, such as the potential liability for VAT and Stamp Duty Land Tax.

Key Personnel:

Please click on the links below to view a biography