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England - London • Employment
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Pensions: dispute resolution

Stephenson Harwood

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With ‘extensive experience of the process and a unique capability to determine the most commercial approach’, Stephenson Harwood’s team regularly acts in high-profile professional negligence claims and complex regulatory disputes, including FCA and TPR investigations, both of which are cornerstones of the practice. The group regularly collaborates with the firm’s private wealth, contentious trusts, pensions advisory, and regulatory teams. Described by clients as a ‘tactical genius’, Helena Berman leads the practice and has substantial experience acting on complex pensions and trust disputes concerning the law of limitation, construction of trust documents, and defending trustees in professional negligence cases. Jenny McKeown has ’a great eye for litigation advantage’ and is adept at advising insurers and UK law firms on professional negligence claims. Chris Edwards-Earl is a ‘very personable and effective litigator’, while Maria Chami is another name to note.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Stephenson Harwood and innovative, creative and solutions focused. They are very commercially focused - they have a vast amount of industry knowledge and their advice goes far beyond the purely legal, the give clients valuable strategic advice as well. They are actively involved in many of the reported pensions cases and their first hand experience with these cases is invaluable.’

  • ‘Helena Berman and Chris Edwards-Earl are both fantastic - commercial and solutions-focused. They have in depth industry knowledge which they utilise to full effect for the benefit of their clients. They are also pragmatic, focusing on their clients needs and aims and presenting solutions that meet those needs.’

Key clients

  • Representative Beneficiary of the BBC pension scheme
  • Mercer Limited and Sedgwick Noble Lowndes Limited

Work highlights

Acting for the Representative Beneficiary of the BBC Pension Scheme in in proceedings which would determine the scope of the Scheme's amendment power and whether significant variations can be made to the Scheme going forwards. In July 2023, judgement was handed down in favour of the client, and the firm's involvement continues as the BBC has made the decision to appeal the decision to the Court of Appeal.
Defending Mercer Limited and Sedgwick Noble Lowndes Limited in a high value negligence claim issued by the employer and trustees of the Honda pension scheme in December 2009 regarding a range of alleged defective amendments to the scheme between 1986 – 1999.