Partner who advises trustees and employers of pension schemes (big and small) on everyday issues and project work. Fuat's advice routinely includes managing change (whether benefit changes or legislative changes), updating scheme documentation, member communications and advising on the legal aspects of funding issues.
He also has particular expertise advising employers on projects. These range from liability management exercises (such as PIEs and ETVs) to benefit reforms and corporate transactions (M&A activity, TUPE, and public to private outsourcings). He leads the firm’s outsourcing group and is a member of the team that provides transactional support services to other law firms. Recent experience includes advising employers on mitigating the impact of the end of DB contracting out and the forthcoming state benefit changes.
Pensions boutique Sacker & Partners LLP is noted by clients as being the ‘go-to legal practice for pensions’, with a ‘world-class’ depth of practice. Team lead David Saunders has extensive experience in advising clients on defined benefit and defined contribution pension schemes, bringing more than 20 years’ experience to the practice. Janet Brown, who is experienced in de-risking matters, is commended for her ’unique skills‘ and provision of ’invaluable’ support. Other key names include Fuat Sami who focuses on transactional cases; Stuart O’Brien who works mainly on matters relating to ESG and climate risk; Philippa Connaughton, who has expertise advising on the pensions aspects of corporate acquisitions; defined contribution schemes specialist Helen Ball; and the ‘superb’ Jacqui Reid as well as Edward Hayes.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- ‘Janet Brown is a gem and has the unique skill of making our trustee board feel relaxed and assured when she gives her advice. Her regular reassurance is so valuable as we grapple with a range of complex topics.’
- ‘Helen Ball's ability to grasp an issue immediately, identify the range of solutions available and navigate a path that kept both trustee and employer content was invaluable on our project.’
- ‘In my opinion, the best pensions team in the UK. Always on point, always accessible and always leading the way. The depth, knowledge and client understanding are world-class.’
- ‘Sacker & Partners LLP is recognised as the go-to legal practice for pensions advice to trustees. Their pension expertise is undoubted, but this combined with the team's pragmatism and approachability sets them apart.’
- ‘An impressively broad range of subject matter experts, who ensure we receive tailored and proportionate approach for specific projects.’
- ‘They are highly responsive and take the time to understand our characteristics and perspective, to provide bespoke advice.’
- ‘Jacqui Reid has been superb at encouraging effective interaction between the industry and regulators. She has played a key role in helping a consensus to develop across many different players and perspectives in terms of how best the industry can implement the regulators' policy intentions.’
- ‘Friendly team, able to take complex matters and support the trustee board members through the detail. All members of the team are strong, collegiate, and readily available.’
Key clients
- DHL Group Retirement Plan
- Railways Pension Scheme
- Royal Mail Pension Plan
- TFL Pension Fund
- John Lewis Partnership Trust for Pensions
- Bank of England Staff Pension Fund
- Trustee of the Boots Pension Scheme
- The Trustee of the GSK Pension Scheme and the GSK Pension Fund
- The Trustee of the TotalEnergies UK Pension Plan
- Airways Pension Scheme
- The Trustee of the Nationwide Pension Fund
- Nestlé UK Pension Fund
- Trustee of the Siemens Benefits Scheme
- The Trustee of the Superannuation Arrangements of the University of London
- The Trustee of the Telefonica UK Pension Plan
- Chevron UK Pension Plan
- IBM Pension Plans
- EDS Retirement Plan
- Citi Pension Plans
Work highlights
- Advised the Trustees of the Sal Pension Scheme, sponsored by RSA Group, on the largest ever bulk annuity transaction, insuring a total of £6.5bn of liabilities and covering the pensions of 40,000 members.
- Advised the Trustee of the £13.5bn Royal Mail Pension Plan on its most significant projects of 2022, which included a major benefit correction exercise for the plan’s 124,000 members.
- Advised the Trustee of SAUL, still an open DB scheme, on establishing a DC feeder section within the existing trust.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
David has experience of a wide range of pension issues advising both employers and trustees. He is the lead partner for a number of the firm’s major defined benefit and defined contribution clients in the financial services, electricity, IT and logistics sectors. His broad practice encompasses interpretation and application of scheme documentation, mergers and demergers, scheme funding, liability management and generally helping clients to navigate their way through the increasing maze of pension regulation and legislation.
His recent work has included advising clients making changes to their pension provision, including closure to future service accrual and bulk transfers of members’ benefits, scheme funding and the Regulator’s new regime.
He also frequently advises on the pensions aspects of corporate acquisitions, disposals and reorganisations and heads up the team that provides transactional support services to other law firms.
Janet advises both trustees and employers, large and small, of both defined benefit and defined contribution arrangements and governance committees of contract based schemes Her work covers mergers and demergers, corporate transactions and helping both schemes and employers through the increasing complexity of pensions legislation.
Janet is the day-to-day partner on a number of large multi-employer schemes across the oil, gas, chemical and university sectors.
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Partner and specialist pensions lawyer with over 15 years’ experience of advising trustees and companies on all aspects of UK pensions law, regulation and industry best practice. She is a DC specialist but also has a thriving DB practice – her clients include trustees/providers of DB and DC schemes (large and small) and international/FTSE 100 and 250 companies who participate in UK and offshore trust and contract-based arrangements.
Jacqui works with a range of occupational and personal pension providers on legal and non-legal DC matters and has a practical appreciation of the key challenges we need to overcome to secure good outcomes for members. She advises independent governance committees (IGC) and chairs provider forums for key industry players which makes her uniquely placed to provide independent ideas and thoughts on issues which span trust and contract pension provision.
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
David Saunders