With the increasing focus on compliance and governance issues within the public sector, pensions have become a highly complex area.

We advise local authorities, including numerous sections of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), government departments and other public sector organisations on how to meet the legal and compliance issues they face. Our lawyers draw on the experience they have gained advising private sector DB schemes to help public sector organisations, ensuring our clients benefit from advisers who understand the issues faced by both sides in outsourcing and other projects.

We advise the obligations and implications of pensions outsourcing for employers, entry and exit terms for local government pension schemes, including Fair Deal transfers, and issues relating to bonds on joining the LGPS.  We also advise on the new Fair Deal in relation to both the NHSPS and PCSPS.

We regularly advise on Investment issues for local government schemes. Our investment team can offer efficient, robust due diligence on investment manager appointments including segregated structures or pooled vehicles and compliance with the LGPS Investment Regulations. We regularly assist with on-boarding private equity, debt and infrastructure arrangements.

Recent experience

• Advising the Ministry of Justice on the pensions aspects of a series of large scale technology outsourcing procurements involving transfers from the PCSPS
• Advising Xerox in relation to changes to its NHSPS sections and the issue of a new GAD passport
• Advising Guildford and Woking Borough Council on the outsourcing of its leisure management operations and associated Fair Deal transfers
• Advising Commercial Services client in relation to its participation in the LGPS
• Advising NILGOSC in relation to pension matters
• Ongoing advice to numerous admitted bodies to the LGPS on their bonds, admission agreements, and auto-enrolment obligations
• Advising LGPS funds in relation to the government’s proposed governance changes to public sector schemes
• Advising LGPS funds in relation to due diligence on investment manager appointments with pooled vehicles and compliance with LGPS investment regulations
• Advising on large LDI mandates and the establishment of co-operative investment arrangements across LGPS sections.