Gowling WLG‘s pensions team represents a host of high-profile clients across scheme advisory, employer advisory, pensions risk transfer, and dispute-based matters. The team has had an active year advising on DB schemes, transferring AVCs and DC benefits to master trusts, supporting employers with liability management exercises, advising in the public sector space, assisting the PPF, acting for insurers, and working on large trustee-side transactions. The team is led by the Birmingham-based Elizabeth Gane. In London, other notable practitioners include Jason Coates, a specialist in scheme advisory and employer advisory matters.
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Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Long-term trusted advisers. They have never let us down. Genuine engagement with the Trustees, with their and their members interests at the forefront.'
‘The team is highly responsive, very supportive, technically strong and excellent communicators. ’
‘Jason Coates and Maddy Frost are both excellent pensions advisory partners.’
'Great consistency in quality and thinking across different lawyers. Joined up approach within the firm across a range of workstreams. Consistently looking to be collaborative around the commercial aims of us as a client and specific to the circumstances.'
'Jason Coates - very commercial; objectives and outcomes focused while remaining collaborative. A very creative problem solver with an ability to see and reframe the problem as much as find solutions to them.'
Key clients
- Trafalgar House Pension Trust
- ICL Group Pension Plan of Fujitsu Services Limited
- Thales UK Pension Scheme
- Trustee of the Unisys UK pension schemes
- Rothesay
- LCP Streamlined
- Trustee of the G4S Pension Scheme
Work highlights
Advised the Thales UK Pension Scheme on the post buy-in actions for its 15,000 members as the £2.7bn scheme moves towards a wind-up and buy-out
Advised the trustees of the G4S Pension Scheme on its £1.8bn transaction with Just Group to secure all benefit liabilities of the Scheme for over 20,000 members.
Assisted the Trustee of the £1.8bn Trafalgar House Pension Trust with a number of strategic projects, including the completion of the first phase of a large GMP conversion project for pensioners and deferred members in bulk to achieve GMP equalisation.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Practice head
Elizabeth Gane
Other key lawyers
Jason Coates; Madeleine Frost