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Associate, Pensions

Employer
Ashurst
Location
London (Central), London (Greater)
Salary
Competitive
Closing date
30 Sep 2019

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Vacancy Type
Solicitors – Private Practice
Contract Type
Permanent
Practice Area
Employment & Pensions, Employee Benefits
Experience Level
0-2yrs PQE, 2-5yrs PQE, 5+ yrs PQE
Role Classification
Lawyer

Job Details

About Ashurst

Ashurst is a leading global law firm with a history spanning almost 200 years, and clear strategy for our future growth. Our in-depth understanding of our clients and commitment to providing exceptional standards of service have seen us become a trusted adviser to local and global corporates, financial institutions and governments in all areas of commercial law. To find out more please visit here.

In order to comply with regulatory and client requirements, Ashurst will undertake appropriate vetting of staff. When applicants accept a job offer, Ashurst, alongside a specialist provider, will undertake professional verification and background checks.  These checks are only undertaken with consent, and in accordance with our legal and regulatory obligations.

Team overview:

Our pensions team advises across a broad range of sectors including financial services, insurance, healthcare, manufacturing natural resources and real estate.  Our pensions team is fully integrated with our incentives and employment practice and has daily interaction with the rest of the firm's departments such as corporate, international finance, disputes, restructuring, tax and regulatory. 

Job overview:

We would like to a recruit pensions lawyer who has had experience working in the area of pensions and in particular is comfortable with working on corporate transactions as well as day to day advisory pensions work for both corporate clients and trustees.  Experience advising in relation to investment matters and insurance based solutions (e.g. buy-outs. buy-ins and longevity swaps) would be a bonus but is not essential.

Essential skills and experience:

  • Qualified lawyer with relevant post-qualification experience at a leading law firm
  • Experience of pensions law
  • Experience of large scale transactions
  • Experience of drafting, reviewing and negotiating pensions related documents
  • investment and insurance experience would be beneficial
  • A team-player who can work effectively with colleagues at all levels
  • Client facing experience and the ability to understand and respond effectively to client needs
  • Experience of negotiating with counterparts
  • A commercial approach

Recent Work:

Recent work includes advising the following clients on the following matters:

  • Interserve plc in relation to its £200 million refinancing in 2018;
  • Johnston Press plc in relation to corporate pensions issues;
  • the National Grid trustees in relation to the drafting and negotiation of a £13 billion investment management agreement with Legal & General;
  • the US Unsecured Creditors' Committee of Nortel US on the wide-ranging and complex multi-jurisdictional issues relating to various claims by the trustees of the Nortel UK defined benefit scheme (totalling £2.1 billion). In particular, the team advised on the use of powers by the Pensions Regulator to impose financial support directions on certain Nortel entities (including the validity of the Pension Regulator's action and whether this violated the insolvency laws in the relevant jurisdiction);
  • the Kodak unsecured creditors committee on the restructuring of pension arrangements to allow the Kodak group to emerge from a Chapter 11 insolvency process;
  • Qinetiq on the successful implementation of a novel real estate backed funding partnership (PFP) with the trustees of the Qinetiq Group Pension Scheme;
  • JP Morgan on the capacity of pension scheme trustees to invest, either directly or through an investment manager, in derivative contracts under ISDA and GMRA Master Agreements;
  • Lendlease on the pensions aspects of the sale of a subsidiary including the management of post-completion participation of the target entity in its defined benefit pension scheme;
  • Lufthansa on restructuring its UK pension arrangements to facilitate the significant KLM and Air France joint venture, together with advising on scheme funding;
  • Mizkan Group on the pensions aspects of the acquisition of Branston Pickle, Sarson's Vinegar and Harwards Pickle businesses from Premier Foods;
  • BHP Biliton with pensions advice on auto-enrolment including advice on the requirements relating to international assignees and in relation to scheme structure and member communications;
  • Goodhead Scheme Trustees on the entry of the scheme into the PPF;
  • McGraw Hill Group Pension Scheme Trustees on ongoing matters and in relation to the restructuring of the group and the transfer of scheme employer assets to a new group entity, changes to the benefit structure of the scheme and entry into guarantee arrangements;
  • the trustees of three defined benefit schemes in relation to the transfer of scheme assets and liabilities to another group scheme as part of a merger process.;
  • trustees of the NIAB pension scheme on scheme funding and on an ongoing basis;
  • trustees of the Hunters & Frankau pension scheme on an ongoing basis
  • trustees of the London United Busway pension scheme on an ongoing basis.

Salary: Competitive

Company

Ashurst is a leading progressive global law firm with a rich history spanning more than 200 years. We are proud of our history and are future-focused, having expanded into new technologies through our NewLaw division, Ashurst Advance, and our consulting arm. Our in-depth understanding of our clients and commitment to providing excellent standards of service have seen us become a trusted adviser to local and global corporates, financial institutions and governments in all areas of commercial law. To find out more please visit  www.ashurst.com

Company info
Telephone
+44 20 7638 1111
Location
London Fruit & Wool Exchange
1 Duval Square
London
E1 6PW
United Kingdom

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