Corporate Governance
United Kingdom
19 August 2025
Drawing praise from clients for its ‘excellent blend of technical expertise, proactivity, collaboration, and user-friendly advisory style’, Macfarlanes LLP’s wide-ranging capabilities include insurance-based pension risk transfer transactions, pension liabilities, financing provisions, and key regulatory questions. Andrew Barton, who heads the firm’s specialist insurance team, is noted for his strong track record in insurance de-risking for defined pension schemes. Pensions head Faye Jarvis is engaged by a host of corporates and employers for her pension liabilities management expertise. Other key figures include Madison Kaur and Scarlett Yu.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Excellent blend of technical expertise, proactivity, collaboration and user-friendly advisory style. Seamless introduction of other specialist areas to support pensions law projects.’
‘Very accessible and responsive approach. Strong ability to call on wider firm specialists in areas needed to supplement pensions legal advice. Very collaborative style and instils confidence that all matters are covered.’
‘Flexible, collaborative, pragmatic, focused on client goals and outcomes’.
'Respond really quickly to issues when needed.'
Key clients
- The Trustees of the United Airlines, Inc. UK Pension Plan
- Legal & General Assurance Society Limited
- Zurich Assurance Ltd
- Wates Pension Trustee Company Limited
- Barloworld UK Limited
- GBT Travel Services UK Limited
- Trustees of the Gemplus Limited Staff Pension Scheme
- Pernod Ricard S.A.
- Darty Limited
- Joint Administrators of Department Stores Realisations Limited
Work highlights
Advising the Trustees on all of the actions they need to take in order to purchase a buy-in policyfrom an insurance company in respect of the Plan’s liabilities.
Assisted Legal & General on the latest tranche of its long-running transaction withthe ICI Pension Fund.
Assisted Zurich Assurance Limited with the novation of its existing longevity swapwith the National Grid Electricity Group of the Electricity Supply Pension Scheme to Aviva as partof a £1.7 billion pensioner buy-in transaction.
Practice head
Andrew Barton; Faye Jarvis
Other key lawyers
Madison Kaur; Stacey Yon