Mayer Brown International LLP
Mayer Brown International LLP’s team is adept at handling the full gamut of contentious pensions issues for trustees and employers, including member complaints, professional negligence cases, regulatory investigations, and investment disputes. The practice is also experienced in assisting with cross-border contentious cases, with recent work involving Scotland, the US, and Guernsey. The ‘proactive and efficient’ Tim Shepherd jointly leads the team with ‘able and thoughtful litigator’ Stuart Pickford, and Andrew Block, who is especially experienced advising employers on a range of contentious pensions matters.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- ‘Mayer Brown is our long-standing trusted adviser. Technically excellent, efficient, very experienced, and proactive. They're a great team to work with and a sound source of support and advice.’
‘Tim Shepherd is friendly, approachable, proactive, and efficient. Quick to get to grips with the details and nuances of a case and a very strong tactically. A great lawyer to work with.’
‘They have a detailed understanding of our schemes, and our way of working. Knowing how we would wish to approach and handle complaints, and working with us to clearly explain the position to a complainant, with a view to finding an appropriate and just resolution.’
‘They have a strong ability to focus on the important and salient points of the complaint received, and to work with us to develop a robust response which clearly details to the complainant the key facts and details, and draw to a conclusion any proposed resolutions.’
‘Stuart Pickford's approach is always very thorough and he always goes the extra mile to ensure that responses cover all the details.’
‘Stuart Pickford is our litigation adviser and brings a fine, forensic approach to intricate problems of governance and claims which can have their origin many decades in the past. Patient, careful, and considered, he is able to deconstruct and explain complex problems to a trustee board largely composed of non-lawyers. His measured and thoughtful advice has yielded excellent results for our Scheme.’
‘Stuart Pickford is an able and thoughtful litigator with good judgement.’
Key clients
- Pension Protection Fund
- Merchant Navy Ratings Pension Fund Trustees Limited
- QBE Insurance
- Reed Elsevier Pensions Trustees Limited
- Massey Ferguson Works Pension Trust Limited
- Kingfisher Pension Trustee Limited
- Santander (UK) Group Pension Scheme Trustees Limited
- JMEPS Trustees Limited
- Prudential Staff Pensions Limited
- BOC Pension Scheme Trustees Limited
Work highlights
- Acted for the Trustee of a multi-million pound pension scheme sponsored by a FTSE-100 employer in relation to rectification proceedings in which the sponsoring employer is asking the Court to order rectification of one of the scheme documents.
- Represented a participating employer in the Motor Industry Pension Plan in a long-running dispute with the Plan's trustees concerning the calculation of a Section 75 debt claimed against the employer.
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Tim Shepherd, Andrew Block, Stuart Pickford