POSITION DESCRIPTION

Mid-Level Pensions Lawyer, Pensions

Position Title: / Pensions Lawyer, Pensions
Experience Level: / Mid-Level
Reports: / None
Reporting to: / Key Partners - Robert West, Jeanette Holland, Chantal Thompson, Malcolm Fitzsimmons
The Team: / 4 Partners
11 Associates
4 Trainees
Core Competencies
  • Scheme advisory work
The Department has a substantial number of large and medium-sized pension clients. The work is varied and covers all aspects of scheme advisory work. The importance of continuity is stressed and Associates are encouraged to build long-term relationships with clients.
  • Investment
Investment and related regulatory work forms an important part of the practice. It is conducted both within the Department and in tandem with the Banking and Finance Department.
  • Litigation
Pension Litigation is conducted as an adjunct to the Pensions Department, Associates in the department handle some claims themselves and work on other contentious matters in conjunction with specialist pension litigators.
  • Sales and purchases
Sales and purchases form a significant, but not dominant, part of our work. Matters often involve a substantial overseas element which entails work with pension lawyers in other offices of Baker & McKenzie.
Candidate Profile
The ideal candidate will have the following attributes:
  • Will have relevant experience;
  • Will have excellent academic credentials;
  • Will be a strong team player;
  • Will be a good communicator both orally and in writing; and
  • Will be able to demonstrate initiative and pro-activity.

The Practice Group
Baker & McKenzie has a well-established and highly-regarded pensions practice in its London office. It is organised as a free-standing Department (with approximately 70% of the Department's clients having come to the firm specifically for pensions advice) and works closely with other Departments such as Employment, Corporate, Disputes and Banking and Finance. Its approach is to provide practical, professional and cost-effective advice.
The Pensions Department advises both companies and trustees on the legal aspects of pension arrangements. The total number of plans advised by Baker & McKenzie is approximately 300. These schemes range from very large schemes (such as the Merchant Navy and the Co-operative Insurance Society) to small self-administered schemes, and many have an international aspect. The scope of this advice encompasses trust law, specialist pensions legislation affecting pensions schemes to change benefit structures, common investment arrangements, discrimination in pension schemes, litigation, applications to the court, advising independent trustees and advising on international aspects. In addition, we provide a full documentation service, drafting trust deeds and rules, amending schemes and drafting collective investment agreements.
We provide our clients with a monthly ‘UK Pensions Update’ to notify clients of the latest developments, together with regular Pensions Law Newsletters providing more detailed analysis of topical issues. Client seminars and workshops are also held relating to significant legal issues in the pensions area. Our ability to deliver professional and cost-effective advice lies not only in the experience and approach of our lawyers, but also, critically, in the know-how and precedent system which we have developed. We have a nine-year qualified pensions lawyer who provides know-how support exclusively to the Pensions Department.
Sample of Current Work
Non-contentious recent projects include:
  • Advising several multi-national corporations (such as Sony and BP) on the pensions aspects of sales and purchases worldwide, involving pensions advice in more than a dozen jurisdictions in each case.
  • Advising on pension scheme mergers and restructurings for clients such as Hanson, Lafarge Redland (Blue Circle) J P Morgan, Intel, BDO Stoy Hayward, National Provident Institution, Halliburton, Cooper Industries and Computer Sciences Corporation.
  • Advising in connection with industry-wide schemes such as the Merchant Navy and Railway Schemes.
  • Re-documenting the pension schemes of many clients, including the Co-operative Insurance Society, Hanson, Computer Sciences Corporation and Emerson Electric.
  • Advising in connection with privatisations and outsourcing agreements, for example: advising Computer Sciences Corporation on Inland Revenue IT outsourcing and the outsourcing of DVLC at Swansea; and advising the Home Office and the Department of Transport on privatisations.
  • Advising a number of clients, both companies and trustees, in relation to clearance applications

Contentious recent projects include:
  • Advising the Pensions Committee in the important South West Trains case in connection with the effect of pay restructuring on the Railways Pension Scheme.
  • Representing the members in the National Bus litigation, relating to pension assets which passed to the Government at the time of privatisation.
  • A court application on behalf of a major UK pension scheme (with assets in excess of £2 billion) to secure the court’s approval of the restructuring of the scheme.
  • Advising the Trustees of the NPI Pension Scheme in respect of a successful application for rectification of the rules of the scheme.

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