Employment, Pensions & Benefits Team of the Year

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SLAUGHTER AND MAY - Sandeep Maudgil

Created a solution for Uniq in its bid to minimise the £400m plus legacy shortfall in its £1bn defined-benefit pension scheme using an innovative deficit-for-equity swap. It involved creating a completely new structure and clearing it with the pension scheme trustees and Pensions Regulator, as well as ensuring that the Pension Protection Fund would not object.

 

 

This award will be given to a team that can demonstrate exemplary performance in this area, either for an employer or for trustees and employees. Nominees are invited to provide evidence of value-added service in contentious, non-contentious or regulatory matters. Judges will be looking for an innovative or pioneering example of work, a significant new client win or superb service to an existing client.

 

Created a solution for Uniq in its bid to minimise the £400m plus legacy shortfall in its £1bn defined-benefit pension scheme using an innovative deficit-for-equity swap. It involved creating a completely new structure and clearing it with the pension scheme trustees and Pensions Regulator, as well as ensuring that the Pension Protection Fund would not object.

HIGHLY COMMENDED

ALLEN & OVERY
Mark Mansell

Represented the International Chamber of Commerce as a key intervening party in the Supreme Court in a challenge to the judgment made in the high-profile Jivraj v Hashwani case. The decision found that arbitrators are not employees but service providers, which will have profound effects on future arbitration agreements.

DWF
Kirsty Rogers

Represented the set of chambers 4 New Square in successfully defending a racial and disability discrimination case brought by a former barrister in the London Central Employment tribunal. The barrister claimed losses of over £33m based on a loss of previous potential earnings and a loss of potential future earnings.

LG
Ron Burgess

Advised key charity client, the Institution of Civil Engineers, on implementing significant changes to its staff benefits package. However, the firm developed its role by advising on the closing of two major schemes and establishing a single group personal pension scheme. The work saw the firm navigate a series of tough negotiations with both trustees and employees of the charity.

PINSENT MASONS
Carolyn Saunders

Pinsents landed a plum role working alongside Legal & General on the development of its Worksave Pension Mastertrust, which is designed to comply with the government pension reforms in 2012 and combines elements of the trust-based and contract-based definite contribution scheme.

SACKER & PARTNERS
Ian Pittaway

This renowned pensions specialist acted for the trustees of the ITV pension scheme on its high-profile longevity swap contract with Credit Suisse. The swap ensured that the scheme was protected against members living longer and concerned the benefits of almost 12,000 retired members.