Francois Barker > Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile
Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP Offices
1 WOOD STREET
CHEAPSIDE
LONDON
EC2V 7WS
England
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Francois Barker
Work Department
Francois is a partner and head of our Pensions group. He has nearly 20 years' experience of advising corporate sponsors and pension funds on UK and international pensions and benefits issues in relation to both defined benefit and defined contribution arrangements. He is praised by the legal directories for “having an incredible fountain of knowledge in terms of pensions issues and approaching things in a can-do and imaginative way”, for “expressing complex issues in an easy to understand way and getting his arguments across in a compelling manner", and for his “detailed knowledge of the entire regulatory landscape".
His recent experience includes:
- Advising on the full range of strategies to de-risk legacy defined benefit pension plans, including the establishment of asset backed special purpose funding structures, designed to use corporate assets, rather than cash, to meet deficits;
- Advising on new UK and EU governance and best practice requirements in relation to defined contribution plans;
- Working with a European fund management house rolling out a Luxembourg based pension plan across the EU;
- Advising on complex funding, security and guarantee packages in relation to defined benefit plans; and
- Developing aeready, Eversheds' innovative legal automatic enrolment compliance tool for UK companies.
Francois is actively involved in the development of pensions law and policy in the UK and Europe, and has helped to shape aspects of both UK and EU pensions legislation. He has advised the CBI's Pensions Panel since 2000, and is an elected member of the Pensions and Lifetime Association's DC Council. He also sits on the DC Standing Committee of Pensions Europe, and the Hundred Group Pensions Committee . He has written many articles on Pensions issues and is co-author of "Tolley's E-Pensions". He is a regular speaker at industry conferences, and is often quoted by the industry press.
Position
Partner
Lawyer Rankings
London > Employment > Pensions (non-contentious)
(Hall of Fame)The ‘technically excellent‘ and ‘pragmatic‘ pensions team at Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP is able to advise its clients on the full-range of pensions work. Francois Barker, who co-heads the team, works with such well-known clients as Pensions Europe and The Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association, while fellow co-head Jeremy Goodwin is recommended for his work regarding the regulator’s anti-avoidance powers as well as for his experience in matters involving the duties and responsibilities of trustees. Mark Latimour is noted as being an ‘excellent adviser and strategic partner’; he frequently advises on pension investment issues. Michael Jones is recommended for his work on commercial pension schemes. Steven Hull and Sarah Swift are also names to note. Charlotte Cartwright was notably promoted to partner in May 2023.
Lawyer Rankings
- Hall of Fame London > Employment > Pensions (non-contentious)
- Pensions (non-contentious) London > Employment
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Public sector > Education: institutions
- Employment > Health and safety
- Public sector > Infrastructure (parliamentary)
- Investment fund formation and management > Real estate funds
- Corporate and commercial > M&A: Lower Mid-Market Deals, £100m-£750m
- Employment > Pensions (non-contentious)
- Employment > Pensions: dispute resolution
- Real estate > Property litigation
- Transport > Rail
- Investment fund formation and management > Retail funds
- Corporate and commercial > Financial services: non-contentious/regulatory
Firm Rankings
- Public sector > Administrative and public law
- Corporate and commercial > Commercial contracts
- Real estate > Commercial property: corporate occupiers
- Real estate > Commercial property: investment
- Risk advisory > Data protection, privacy and cybersecurity
- Public sector > Education: schools
- Employment > Employers
- Corporate and commercial > Equity capital markets – small-mid cap
- Investment fund formation and management > Hedge funds
- Insurance > Insurance: corporate and regulatory
- Corporate and commercial > International business reorganisations
- Public sector > Local government
- Corporate and commercial > Private equity: transactions - mid-market deals (up to £250m)
- Insurance > Product liability: defendant
- Industry focus > Retail and consumer
- Corporate and commercial > VAT and indirect tax
- Dispute resolution > Banking litigation: investment and retail
- Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation: mid-market
- Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation: premium
- Real estate > Commercial property: development
- Real estate > Construction: contentious
- Employment > Employee share schemes
- Corporate and commercial > EU and competition: trade, WTO anti-dumping and customs
- Corporate and commercial > Financial services: contentious
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Fintech
- Insurance > Insurance and reinsurance litigation
- Dispute resolution > International arbitration
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > IT and telecoms
- Investment fund formation and management > Listed funds
- Real estate > Planning
- Insurance > Professional negligence
- Real estate > Property finance
- Dispute resolution > Public international law
- Dispute resolution > Tax litigation and investigations
- Real estate > Construction: non-contentious
- Corporate and commercial > Corporate tax
- Finance > Derivatives and structured products
- Corporate and commercial > EU and competition
- Crime, fraud and licensing > Fraud: civil
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Intellectual property: trade marks, copyright and design
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Power (including electricity, nuclear and renewables)
- Investment fund formation and management > Real estate funds
- Risk advisory > Regulatory investigations and corporate crime (advice to corporates)
- Industry focus > TMT
- Private client > Charities and not-for-profit
- Employment > Immigration
- Finance > Acquisition finance
- Finance > Corporate restructuring & insolvency
- Corporate and commercial > Financial services: non-contentious/regulatory
- Corporate and commercial > Venture capital