‘Truly expert pensions team, who are an obvious choice for high-value pensions litigation.’

‘The team, headed by Justin Briggs, is one of the most high profile firms in pensions litigation. Primarily based in Bristol, it is to all intents and purposes, a City firm with the case load and reputation to boot. The team covers a wide range of work from pure pensions disputes (all the way to the ECJ), regulatory matters involving the pensions regulator and hard-fought professional negligence disputes. They act for employer, trustees and members alike.’

‘Justin Briggs and fellow partner Suzanne Padmore are both first rate – energetic, astute, hard working, very experienced and brilliant with clients. Of the associates, Kelly Whittaker and Amy Khodabandehloo both have very big futures and work well above their experience.‘

‘Lots of strength in depth. Great resources used well – they ensure that exactly the right expertise is deployed on each case. Involved in many of the biggest cases in pensions over the last few years.‘

‘Justin Briggs has a thorough understanding of the field, always aware of what it is that is happening on the ground.’

‘Justin Briggs is outstanding – very bright, hugely expert in pensions law and an excellent strategic litigator.’

‘Burges Salmon have shown a good grasp of their subject and brought some good ideas and thinking to dealing with some complex issues.’

‘Technically astute, commercial, and very responsive and proactive team. Provide good value for money. I would recommend them.’

‘Claire Carroll  is very approachable, excellent tactical advice, commercial, responsive and a supportive partner to in-house lawyers. A pleasure to work with. Richard Bacon – Technically excellent, proactive, not afraid of getting stuck into the detail, approachable and supportive. Together, Claire and Richard make an excellent team and they are pleasure to work with.’

‘Claire Carroll knows the pensions industry as well as anyone in the market, and runs a case with breath-taking efficiency and sophistication. She should be the first port of call for anyone with a pensions issue.’

‘Exceptional depth and breadth of experience, encompassing both occupational and personal pension schemes. The pensions disputes team benefits enormously from being part of the firm’s Financial Services Disputes and Investigations (FSDI) department and the synergies that generates.’

‘Claire Carroll is a big name in the field: commercial, savvy, very experienced and an adept multi-tasker. Jennifer Miles is a skilled negotiator and a delight to work with: you’d want her on your side going into any mediation. Richard Bacon is extremely hard working, great technical knowledge, unflappable, very personable.’

‘The disputes team is excellent and they seem to maintain very close links with the non-contentious pensions colleagues so have a great depth and breadth of pensions knowledge. As well as their legal skill set, I have found them invaluable in explaining to us the necessary process and formalities required. As pension trustees we need to use dispute resolution lawyers only rarely so we need that support.’

‘Claire Carrol is leading for us on a court matter and has been excellent, both in her technical work but importantly in working with our diverse trustee board to keep us up to date with the process.’

‘Really first class, extremely knowledgeable and on the ball, and always courteous and professional. A real joy to work with.’

‘Angela Dimsdale Gill is top of the tree, and a true professional. A class apart from many of her rivals.’

‘The Hogan Lovells Pensions: dispute resolution team is a substantial team containing many specialist pensions litigators who have considerable non-contentious expertise as well as familiarity with professional negligence and regulatory claims. This means that key individuals are able to offer a complete pensions litigation service which is invaluable when there are parallel disputes.’

‘Nicholas Heaton is fantastic. Technically superb, he is equally adept with the detail and the big picture and never loses sight of what the client wants and what capital the other side might make of certain litigation decisions. Nathan Sherlock is a different character in terms of personality but it very bright, very hard working and diligent and is able to manage large litigation on his own. Of the other partners, Angela Dimsdale Gill is formidable and Matthew Bullen energetic.’

‘Nick Heaton is an absolutely class act. Always one step ahead in terms of tactics and with a phenomenal knowledge of both law and procedure.’

‘The Hogan Lovells pensions dispute resolution offering can’t be bettered. They have outstanding legal knowledge and vast experience of all forms of pensions-related litigation, from the Pensions Regulator’s jurisdiction to the largest Part 8 cases. With three specialist pensions litigation partners, each of exceptional ability, it’s a remarkably strong team. One of the toughest firms to be against in this sector.’

‘The ability of the team to explain extremely complex matters in a way which makes them understandable and which facilitates decision making is first class. Equally the quality and clarity of the advice given outstrips that of other firms experienced.’

‘Exceptional attention to detail and partner engagement.’

‘Mark Blyth brings a depth of pensions knowledge to the table combined with excellent litigation skills which help to facilitate innovative and effective outcomes.’

‘Linklaters is able to deal with high quality technical and substantial pensions cases. It typically acts for blue chip corporate employers with substantial pensions schemes, but also act for trustees of large pension schemes. As a result they have acted in many of the largest and high-profile pensions cases of recent years.’

‘Mark Blyth is very clever, always on top of the papers and well organised. he is also a tough negotiator. Sarah Opie provides support on the more technical areas of pensions law. She is both clever and very knowledgeable.’

‘James Bingham has been a clear and stable guiding light in the approach to dispute resolution. From the beginning he was clear about the challenges and prospect for success and has been consistent with his message throughout. He also showed great patience with his client as details slipped from their minds over time and he helped them recall previous discussions.’

‘The Sackers team are highly collaborative – as well as working closely together and bringing in in-house experts for key advice, they listen to understand client’s’ needs and respond in a professional and client focused way. Sackers are good at citing practical examples of either case law or similar situations. They break down complexity, avoid side issues and concentrate on key points. As such, they provide advice in a timely and cost effective way. Sackers do not hide behind legal jargon, but instead communicate at a laypersons level without coming over patronising. In this way, they get the best from a client-advisor relationship.’

‘I have mostly dealt with James Bingham. As he has got to know the trustees well, he has honed his advice in a very clear and focused way. From my perspective, James’ response time is excellent and where he is unable to respond with advice immediately he ensures that he communicates when he will get back. James has often drafted legal letters on my behalf and on all occasions these have been drafted in a style and tone that I had to make few changes to. This demonstrates that he understands his clients needs well and responds appropriately to these.’

‘A strong team is in place. I particularly appreciate the ongoing support from Arshad Khan, who I have worked with for many years. I value his proactive approach whilst at the same time understanding our business priorities.’

‘Sackers is a go to firm for pensions litigation and advice. They have a great team of experienced lawyers who have seen it all. You always get a personal touch that can be lacking at the larger firms.’

‘James Bingham is a delight to work with. He is responsive, capable and never loses sight of what matters.’

‘The team provides an all round great service, they are friendly, easy to talk with and have a ‘can do’ attitude. They are very collaborative and whilst being advisor they feel like extension of the team.’

‘Arshad Khan has a great wealth of knowledge in the dispute resolution area. He is easy to talk with, understands the intricacies and able to help with detailed opinions that are straightforward, relevant and easy to understand.’

‘The depth of knowledge gained in experience of a wide range of difficult cases.’

‘Helena Berman is just so experienced. It feels like she will have seen everything before and therefore is unflappable. Great practical advice in complex cases. Chris Edwards-Earl is building a great profile and has the technical knowledge to back that up.’

‘The Stephenson Harwood team are tenacious, creative, organised and totally committed to achieving the optimum outcome of any dispute. They are genuinely invested in developing long term relationships with their clients and bring a huge amount of value add beyond the specific matters on which they are instructed.’

‘Jenny McKeown and Helena Berman are industry heavyweights who are all-in for their clients and always give a clear steer on merits and tactics.’

‘The practice provides practical and sound advice that is commercially friendly with the avoidance of waffle, focusing on concise information that is clear and understandable.’

‘Jenny McKeown, heading the contentious trusts team, has been brilliantly astute: she wears her learning lightly, but her judgment calls have been faultless, knowing which strategy to pursue when and predicting accurately how the litigation will play out. She is pragmatic and solutions-oriented, delivering first-rate work cost-effectively. Helena Berman is another notable partner in that team, not afraid to back herself in picking the points to litigate. She has a strong track record in winning cases against the odds.’

‘The team at Stephenson Harwood combine the legal expertise and quality you would expect from a Magic Circle firm with a strong understanding of medium-sized entities and a much better pricing structure.’

‘Helena Berman – an all round superstar. The total package of technical excellence, commercial judgment, strategic insight and people skills. Jenny McKeown – fantastic judgment, experience and knows how to win a case.’

‘The team provides a comprehensive service with work done at the right level. They are very well linked with counsel and have a good knowledge of the market.’

‘Ian Gordon : good team leader. Practical experience of the court process and the conduct of live hearings. Thorough and good client liaison skills. Charlotte Scholes: thorough, timely communications. Keeps clients fully engaged throughout. Demonstrates in depth expertise and clarity in explaining issues to clients.’

‘Ian Gordon, who led the Gowlings team, covered all the potential angles in a long running dispute, helping to shape the Trustee case as the Company amended its defence. Ian also helped choose and then brief counsel, so that the Trustee was best represented in Court.’

‘Ian Gordon is a clear leader in the industry. He has handled a number of key cases in the last few years and really knows his stuff.’

‘Charlotte Scholes has relatively recently moved to Gowlings. She continues to impress on contentious pensions particularly her approach to professional negligence claims. In my experience, she has an eye on the detail but also takes a pragmatic commercial approach to litigation where appropriate.’

‘The service from their pensions litigation department is good and efficient. They reply quickly to questions and are good at taking matters forward. They are also able to explain complex issues in an easy to understand way and there is strength in depth. This does not make them unique – ultimately they are good to have on your side.’

‘Ian Gordon gives a case 110%, really gets stuck in, totally committed, a “details man”. Charlotte Scholes (principal associate) – conscientious, very personable and easy to work with. Aaron Dunning-Foreman (principal associate) – switched on, full of ideas.’

‘My experience has been very positive. Commercial, pro-active and very clear in their explanation of the issues and process. Strength in depth and a thorough knowledge of pensions.’

‘They have considerable expertise and experience as pensions litigators, particularly acting for representative beneficiaries. Their approach is thorough, technically sound, sensible and proportionate, which is exactly what one would want from a firm acting on behalf of members.’

‘We have worked with and had good experiences of Charles Crowne and Katherine King in particular.’

‘The OC team are very experienced at representing representative beneficiaries. Jonathan Hazlett provides a superb lead – he has very sound judgement. Charlotte Stafford is excellent: very diligent and clever. Katherine King is first rate: very quick and to the point. As a whole, the team know the importance of trying to stick to estimates and keeping an eye on costs. They are very sensible and don’t over-complicate things.’

‘An excellent team. They have a depth and breadth of practice which is top class. Very able people covering all areas of pensions. And the cherry on the cake is that they are thoroughly nice to deal with.’

‘Jonathan Hazlett – a star performer. Very bright, an exceptional project manager, clear and commercial.’

‘Exceptional knowledge of PPF. Very balanced team able to provide top-notch service.’

‘Jonathan Hazlett, very classy operator who is able to call upon an exceptional knowledge of PPF operations. Charles Crowne is a great client partner, outcome focused. Katherine King is a terrific lawyer, definitely on the path to greatness – analytical mind and an attention to detail.’

‘A rare combination of excellent knowledge of the subject matter and great practical litigation skills and experience.’

‘The team is extremely responsive and very personable, making them (from a client perspective) a pleasure to deal with. I have been particularly impressed by the intellectual clarity and structure which underpins their legal analysis and advice. This greatly contributes to them being able to communicate effectively with us. This is allied with a formidable approach to negotiations. Crucially, the link between the pensions and dispute resolution specialists in the team is seamless.’

‘Richard Jeens has led for us on the disputes side. From a client perspective, he is extremely straightforward to deal with, and has a very firm grasp of both the details and the strategic big picture. He is very bright and commercially aware, and highly responsive. He is also a really excellent communicator.’

‘Highly sophisticated team, with both transactional and advisory/litigation capabilities in the pension sphere.’

‘Dan Schaffer is the leading intellect among London pension solicitors. He is tireless in exploring every angle that might serve a client’s commercial agenda.’

‘They need no introduction. You go to Slaughter and May for them to get the job done, and done exceptionally well.’

‘Strength in depth and calibre of the people are outstanding.’

‘Dan Schaffer in particular is a stand-out advisor. His depth and breadth of experience and clarity in communicating the key issues is invaluable in advising the trustees.’

‘Very cohesive and exceptional quality team. Excellent communication and draw out key points for non-specialists. Very effective relationships with Counsel and high quality instruction.’

‘Victoria Leigh and Rebecca Green have been excellent in their approach in helping me to understand the processes and what is happening in terms that I am able to understand.’

‘Consistently strong with litigation work, I have extensive experience of SPB’s Manchester Office and it has been uniformly excellent. Equally at home with corporate or individual clients, in my experience they tend to go the extra mile wherever possible to ensure they best understand and meet a client’s needs.’

‘Victoria Leigh stands out first and foremost because of her ability to analyse complex case issues with considerable skill but then explain them to lay clients in a manner which is fully intelligible without being shrouded in legal terminology. Secondly, she is an excellent case strategist. Finally, she has always been genuinely keen to provide excellent client service across the board. As to associates, I would strongly recommend Mariyam Harunah.’

‘The team is headed by Victoria Leigh who is simply one of my favourite people to work with. She is clever, hardworking, practical, treats her associates well and is well-liked by the bar, judiciary and other firms. Of the associates, Rebecca Green has deservedly been described as a rising star and is cut from the same cloth as Victoria.’

‘Superb pensions team covering all aspects of high quality pensions litigation.’

‘Victoria Leigh is one of the best pensions partners in the country. Combines intelligence and hugely impressive legal knowledge with attention to detail and superb client skills. Someone you want on your side in pensions litigation.’

‘Mariyam Harunah is very much a stand out associate. Very bright and engaged, combining excellence on the law with a strong commercial approach.’

‘Strong team, good balance of technical pensions knowledge and litigation experience. Involved in some big cases in recent years.’

‘Catherine McAllister has great pensions know-how, leading light in resolving the mess caused by GMP equalisation. Jade Murray is respected across the industry, commercial awareness and able to identify novel solutions to otherwise intractable problems.’

‘The pensions dispute team are a delight to work with. They are a dynamic and holistic team, feeding expertise from the advisory side where necessary, as well as being great team players. Their pensions expertise stands out in a competitive market.’

‘I also worked with Catherine McAllister who is on the advisory side of the team and her knowledge of the territory was remarkable. She is great to work with and has a knack for grounding abstract legal issues firmly in practice, which is invaluable during trials.’

‘The team is very conscious of client expectations, particularly in relation to costs, and works hard to meet and manage them. The members are hard-working and put in the necessary hours, particularly when deadlines approach, but also try to plan ahead to avoid difficulties. The team overall is one of the larger pensions teams in my experience and is able to draw on additional resources of personnel when pressure of work demands it.’

‘Susan Garrett – a litigation partner with the sort of experience you cannot buy.’

‘The Addleshaw Goddard team are smart, friendly and efficient and were brilliant at getting me up to speed quickly for a rectification application.’

‘Catherine McAllister and Susan Garrett are stand out individuals – they are brilliant at quickly getting on top of all the issues, ask the right questions and also lovely people to work with.’

‘The Dentons pensions team is relatively small but punches above its weight. The pensions non-contentious team is led by Eleanor Hart who has a wealth of experience in restructuring and similar issues. On the disputes side, the firm has been involved in a mix of high-profile matters and (unusually) also ones of national importance.’

‘Consultant Elmer Doonan seems as busy as ever. He is refreshingly upbeat, candid and fun to work with and brings an unusual tax and other technical expertise with the instincts of a litigator. It is rare that he needs to call on the non-litigious experience of Eleanor Hart and her team, but it is a useful resource when required.’

‘Elmer Doonan is a wise and experienced elder statesman.’

‘Experienced in pensions litigation especially acting for trustees where they have great expertise.’

‘Stuart Pickford is intelligent and has good judgment.’

‘With multiple disputes stretching back over many years, Taylor Wessing had a huge task in overseeing progress on each dispute with different aspects for each dispute. Their ability to keep on top of every detail and provide advice in a timely manner and to ultimately secure us a win was truly remarkable.’

‘Mark Smith is that rare thing – a lawyer that even a lay person can understand! Although the issues involved in our pensions dispute were very complex and stretching over many years, Mark was able to succinctly explain them to our board of trustees in a manner that was useful to the professional trustees but also accessible to non-professional trustees like me. His advice steered us successfully to a positive outcome and his patience and professionalism is much appreciated.’

‘Extremely responsive, with clear easy to follow guidance and advice.’

‘Key contact is partner, Mark Smith, who is responsive, professional and excellent at communicating advice and respected by the Trustee Board.’

‘Mark Smith has great knowledge, and gives clear explanations.’

‘A smaller team than some but makes up for that in terms of quality of service.’

‘Mark Smith is a very hands on and closely engaged partner, to the great benefit of his clients. He thinks out of the box and is a superb client man.’

‘The team has excellent non-contentious knowledge to complement its litigation and long-standing experience in pensions fraud issues.’

‘Very approachable, bespoke client care, but just the right size and so are reassuringly well resourced.’

‘Vicky Mabbett is somewhat of a super woman. Huge energy levels, great attention to detail – she is a real rainmaker.’

‘I have found the team to be well-organised and practical in ensuring the litigation is conducted efficiently.’

‘Strength in depth. Experience and stability.’

‘Ability to understand issues quickly and to provide pragmatic advice. Always available to discuss issues as they arise.’

‘The team have been very helpful in the process of reviewing historical data and papers. They have kept the other professionals engaged and closely worked with counsel.’