An experienced and knowledgeable pensions consultant in the employment and pensions group, Dan provides trustee and corporate clients with advice on all aspects of pensions law. Dan's ability to focus on client's needs and commercial challenges has allowed him to develop trusted partnerships with clients that have endured for many years.
Dan's expertise lies in providing pragmatic and commercial solutions to a wide range of pensions issues faced by his clients. His experience includes advising in relation to corporate transactions, funding negotiations, proposed benefit changes and risk reduction strategies. Dan has also advised employers on legal issues arising from their participation in DC master trusts, including advice on legislative developments relating to automatic enrolment and DC "flexibilities". Dan is a member of the Association of Pension Lawyers and a Fellow of the Pensions Management Institute. He regularly provides articles on legal issues affecting pension provision.
Recent experience includes:
- Vast experience of drafting trust deeds and rules across a range of pension funds.
- Preparing a benefit specification document to facilitate a proposed pension benefit buy-out exercise.
- Advising on general benefit queries, member complaints and the legal aspects of funding and investment issues.
- Advising on the legal aspects of proposed changes to scheme contribution rates and benefits, including scheme-specific and legislative restrictions, the trustees' fiduciary duties and member consultation requirements.
- Assisting in responding to a member complaint regarding annual pension increases, including analysis of scheme governing documentation and formulating responses to the member and Pensions Ombudsman.
- Reviewing and negotiating investment-related documentation, including investment management agreements and the documentation necessary to implement a change in investment platform.
