Suzanne is an experienced pensions lawyer advising both trustees and employees on a wide range of pensions issues. Suzanne has experience advising on both defined benefit and defined contribution schemes of all sizes ranging from under £10m to schemes in excess of £3bn. She has extensive experience in risk transfer work supporting trustees and sponsors through a variety of insurer buy-in transactions. Suzanne has particular experience advising clients in the co-operative sector and is familiar with the typical pension scheme structure in that sector. Additionally, she advises schemes run by charity sector employers and is well versed in the pensions issues facing charity employers. Her work also includes advising on larger schemes with complex governance and funding arrangements.
- Risk transfer projects including: buy-in and buy-out transactions, working with a range of trustee and corporate clients from initial approach to market, preparation to ensure that the scheme is buy-in ready, contract negotiations with insurers, and post-completion actions to winding-up
- Strategic advice to charities and co-operatives on pension scheme participation, funding obligations, benefit design and member queries
- Asset-backed funding arrangements: both setting up and variation of ABCs
- Advice on pension scheme surpluses including support on legal issues arising out of negotiations with scheme sponsors, benefit augmentation and contribution holidays
- Supporting trustee clients on benefit correction exercises including both overpayment and underpayments cases
- Advice on legal issues relating to GMP equalisation and scheme contracting-out generally
- Pensions aspects of corporate transactions including advice on a flexible apportionment arrangements and review of a clearance application to the Pensions Regulator where the target company was to be de-linked from the group pension scheme.
- Review and advice on agreements with third party providers including agreements on employer covenant review, administration agreements and investment management agreements.
- Internal dispute resolution procedure and ombudsman cases on a wide range of disputes including a challenge by a member on pension increases and benefit misquotes.
- Advice on setting up and operation of life assurance schemes including support in handling death benefits decisions.
Suzanne undertook her training contract and qualified into the Pensions department at Mayer Brown International LLP (formerly Rowe & Maw) in 2001. She is a Member of the Pensions Management Institute (ProfPMI) and a full member of the Association of Pension Lawyers. Suzanne is a member of the Association of Pension Lawyers Legislative and Parliamentary Subcommittee regularly supporting on regulatory change and government consultations.