Praised by clients for providing ‘pragmatic and practical’ advice, Brodies LLP is a key contact for the trustees of large pension schemes. Juliet Bayne heads the practice, which is active in the oil & gas, education and real estate sectors. Bayne is qualified to advise on all types of schemes, working on deferred premium buy-ins, illiquid asset sales and flexible apportionment arrangements. Alistair Hill is adept at handling scheme mergers, GMP equalisation and regulatory compliance. Jennifer Crawford is well-equipped to assist both trustees and employers with a wide range of work.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- ‘Pragmatic and practical advice delivered in a manner understandable to the layman.’
- ‘Very knowledgeable and very prompt at responding to any problem/concern in a calm and professional manner.’
- ‘Maureen Burns is a standout associate. She makes complicated subjects easy for all to understand.’
- 'Very good knowledgeable professionals who give a great service and can be relied upon to give the relevant advice in a manner that can be understood by all trustees, no matter the subject.’
- 'Brodies LLP's pensions team are great to work with. They’re professional, easy to deal with, and always give clear, practical advice. The team is friendly, works well with others, and really understands what matters to clients. In my experience, they make collaboration smooth and straightforward.'
- 'Juliet Bayne stands out for her approachable manner and strong commercial awareness. Her leadership style clearly fosters a collaborative and client-focused culture within the team.'
- 'Both Juliet Bayne and Jennifer Crawford are extremely knowledgeable and approachable with a good manner and a lot of patience.'
- 'I find all their analyses and contributions both thorough and clearly understandable in plain English.'
- 'I particularly value their depth of knowledge and ability to explain complex concepts in a manner that I can understand.'
- 'Enthusiastic, knowledgeable, pragmatic.'
Key clients
- Trustee of the Menzies Pension Fund
- Trustees of the Scotia Gas Networks Pension Scheme
- Trustees of the University of Glasgow Pension Scheme
- Chivas Group
- Trustees of the Quintiles Scotland Pension Scheme
- First Milk Limited
- Trustees of the Aon McMillen Retirement Benefits Scheme
- Trustees of the United Wire (2002) Pension Scheme
- North East Scotland Pension Fund
- Berry UK Pension Trustees Limited
Work highlights
Advised the Trustee of the Menzies (Aviation) Pension Fund (BESTrustees Limited) on a £260 million deferred premium buy-in with Just Group plc, securing members' benefits and supporting the company's desire to de-risk the pension scheme.
Advised Mears Group plc, a UK-wide housing and social care provider that repairs and maintains over 700,000 social homes, on the pensions aspects of an Enterprise Agreement worth £125 million per annum with North Lanarkshire Council.
Acted for the Trustees of the United Wire (2002) Pension Scheme on bulk transfers to the Scottish Widows Master Trust, WTW's Lifesight Master Trust and the settlement of residual benefits and wind-up of a Defined Contribution pension scheme.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Leading associates
Leading associates with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Jennifer Crawford
Practice head
Juliet Bayne
Other key lawyers
Jennifer Crawford; Alistair Hill; Maureen Burns