Paul joined the pensions team in October 2008 having qualified as a solicitor at a commercial practice in Newcastle. 

He has experience of advising employer and trustee clients on a range of pension scheme issues including scheme mergers, benefit restructuring and liability management exercises, buy-ins and buy-outs. Paul has also worked on a number of scheme documentation exercises and corporate transactions.

Paul is a member of the Public and Voluntary Sector Unit within the pensions team and has worked on a number of projects advising local authorities and private sector entities on the pensions aspects of public sector outsourcing.

Paul is a member of the Association of Pension Lawyers.

"A leading pensions lawyer".

Chambers and Partners

Experience

Examples of experience include advising:
  • The Trustee of a hybrid occupational pension scheme operated by a national bus company in relation to the merger of three defined benefit schemes
  • The Trustee of the Willhire Pension Scheme in relation to the purchase of a bulk annuity buy-in contract from MetLife to secure the scheme liabilities and the subsequent winding up of the scheme
  • Advising the Trustees of the Procter & Gamble Pension Fund in relation to various ongoing issues and the impact of a major employer restructuring and divestiture
  • A major building firm on the merger and streamlining of its defined benefit pension arrangements
  • The Trustee of the VA Tech (UK) Pension Scheme in relation to various ongoing issues, including the switch to CPI as the statutory minimum requirement when indexing and revaluing deferred benefits, the implications of the increase in the state pension age on the scheme's benefit design and negotiating contracts for the appointment of auditors, a custodian and a fund manager
  • In relation to the winding up of three defined benefit pension schemes belonging to the UCB Group, following a buy-in and buy-out with Legal & General
  • Various academy sponsors and local authorities around issues related to the arrangements for passing on, and funding, the past service deficits relating to staff who were members of the LGPS who would transfer to the academies when they opened.