Julia Ward

Senior knowledge development lawyer

Julia is an experienced pensions lawyer who acts as a senior knowledge lawyer for the pensions team.

As a senior knowledge lawyer, Julia remains at the forefront of legal developments in the pensions industry and ensures that the team is kept up to date with legal and policy changes.

To ensure the team works as efficiently as possible and provides clients with value for money, Julia delivers regular legal training, drafts client briefings, maintains the team's precedent documents and works closely with the innovation team in developing bespoke solutions to client problems.

Prior to becoming a senior knowledge development lawyer, Julia practiced as a pensions associate for a number of years. She provided advice to both trustees and sponsors on day to day advisory matters as well as providing the pensions advice for complex and high value corporate transactions.

Recent experience includes: 

  • Developing Stephenson Harwood’s bespoke pensions legal automation tool known as Deed Architect.
  • Developing a pensions hub website to allow clients easy access to our expertise and legal knowhow materials.
  • Providing ongoing technical and policy training for the Stephenson Harwood pensions team - ensuring the team remains at the forefront of legal and other developments in the pensions sector.
  • Drafting regular briefings for clients in an easily digestible format about important developments. Briefings cover topics such as the developing regulation of defined benefit pension schemes, GMP equalisation, retrospective equalisation and case law updates.
  • Assisting with client training and with running the Innovation Café series of workshops. 

Awards

Professional Pensions UK Awards 2019 - Finalist
Pensions Age Awards 2018 - Shortlisted
Insights

Pensions and the Budget 2024

UK investment and value for money

Pensions briefing – a new defined benefit funding regime

Updated draft Regulations published

Pensions briefing – what to watch in 2024

We are expecting 2024 to be another busy year for developments in the pensions world. The Mansion House reforms and Autumn Statement last year demonstrate that pensions are firmly on the government's agenda.