Doyle Clayton

Pensions

Andrew is a partner specialising in pensions law who advises corporates and trustees on the full range of pensions issues across advisory, transactional and contentious matters.  He has developed a practice focused on assisting sponsors of DB schemes in managing the legal and regulatory risks associated with these arrangements through scheme closures, benefit redesign proposals (such as limiting pensionable pay increases), the associated employment and consultation aspects of these changes and other liability management exercises.

Alongside this, andy has considerable experience in assisting clients with the growth of defined contribution (DC) arrangements, such as the introduction of mastertrusts, pensions governance vehicles, and life assurance schemes as well as helping clients comply with recent changes to the pensions tax regime and the introduction of pensions auto-enrolment.  Recent work :-

Advising a UK infrastructure company on changes to its defined benefit pension arrangement, including the introduction of a variable accrual rate for future service under the scheme.

• Providing advice on the pensions aspects of a retail acquisition, including subsequent advice on options for restructuring the company’s pension arrangements and potential PPF entry.
• Advising a sponsoring employer on reducing its pension costs through making changes to commutation and early retirement factors under its defined benefit pension plan.
• Advising the pension trustees of a UK subsidiary on the impact on employer covenant and provision of appropriate mitigation, following the spin-off of the UK business to the U.S.
• Providing advice to a UK leisure company on the entering into of a flexible apportionment arrangement and Pensions Regulator clearance application following the sale of the sponsoring employer, as well as providing advice on the subsequent insurance buy-out of the pension scheme.

Where trained: London Year qualified: 2007 Year made partner in present firm: 2017

Andrew joined Doyle Clayton in May 2017 from Slaughter and May has previously practised at a leading Olswang and prior to that, he trained and qualifed with Allen & Overy.

French

Association of Pension Lawyers

LLB Joint Honours Law with French, University of Leeds 2:1 (2002)