Alexandra has experience of advising employers and trustees of occupational pension and life assurance schemes on all aspects of pensions law, and providing advice in relation to personal pension arrangements, pensions issues on corporate transactions and pensions litigation. Alexandra also has experience of acting as an independent trustee of pension schemes.
Alexandra’s experience includes advising on:
· Employer automatic enrolment obligations.
· The establishment, administration, alteration, closure and winding up of pension schemes.
· The de-risking of occupational pension schemes, including buy-ins, buy-outs and early retirement exercises.
· Legal aspects of scheme funding requirements and putting in place contingent assets (such as company guarantees).
· The pensions aspects of TUPE transfers and share sales, including drafting contractual provisions in relation to corporate transactions, advising on the implications of corporate transactions on occupational pension schemes and personal pension arrangements, and advising on the terms of flexible apportionment arrangements to mitigate the risks of employer debts arising in corporate transactions.
· In the context of acting as an independent trustee of pension schemes, the process of transferring schemes to the Financial Assistance Scheme and the Pension Protection Fund.
· High court pensions litigation, including professional negligence claims against previous pensions advisers and scheme administrators.
· Pensions disputes considered by the Pensions Advisory Service and the Pensions Ombudsman, and preparing formal responses in relation to such disputes.
Alexandra trained and qualified (in September 2012) at City firm Lawrence Graham LLP (now known as Gowling WLG). Prior to joining Shoosmiths in July 2016, Alexandra spent two years in the in-house pensions legal team at British Telecommunications plc.