Kate qualified into the Pensions team in 2023. Prior to qualification, she was a paralegal in the team for over four years.
She advises trustees and sponsoring employers of defined benefit and defined contribution schemes on a variety of matters. She has experience of advising on buy-in and buy-out projects, consultation exercises, corporate transactions, compliance issues including regulatory changes and case law developments and assisting with drafting scheme documentation, policies and project plans.
Kate is also a member of the Public and Voluntary Sector Unit within the Pensions Team. She has experience of advising organisations such as charities, academy trusts and private sector entities on the requirements of the various public sector pension schemes and supporting with outsourcing projects.
Kate is a member of the Association of Pension Lawyers and is a member of the Association's Future Leaders in Pensions sub-committee.
Experience
Examples of experience include advising:
- The trustee of a pension scheme operated by a multinational manufacturing business on a de-risking strategy involving a buy-in of scheme benefits worth approximately £50m
- The trustees of a defined benefit scheme operated by a retail business in relation to day-to-day matters, as well as more complex projects including historic retirement age equalisation issues, a buy-in exercise and GMP equalisation
- The sponsoring employer of a defined benefit scheme in relation to a series of amendments to change the contribution and accrual rates and freezing pensionable salary
- Various charities in the industry wide Pensions Trust Grown Plan on the reallocation of historic liabilities following the incorporation of the relevant organisation.
