Led by Matthew Giles, the 'knowledgeable' and stable pensions team at Squire Patton Boggs specialises in diverse areas such as offering de-risking and risk transfer solutions, providing corporate deal support and advising on pensions litigation. Philip Sutton is well-regarded for his transactional and insolvency-related work. Victoria Jeacock excels in advising on UK occupational pension schemes in both the private and the public sectors, with a particular specialism in risk transfer matters. Kate-Emma Bailey has a wealth of experience advising on all aspects of occupational pension plan management. The group has considerable sector strength in regulated utilities, local government pension schemes and the not-for-profit sector.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
'Matthew Giles delivers on-point advice that is tempered with a commercial insight and a keen understanding of the practicalities. His ability to outline issues and solutions in a way that is understandable to all is a quality that is rare but so very valuable.'
‘They understand the complex structure of the scheme. They are able to fully satisfy our legal requirements and respond promptly to our requests. They are transparent and fair with regard to fees and charges.’
‘We are very pleased to work with Kate Bailey and Philip Sutton.’
‘Always pragmatic in their approach, friendly to work with and give clear responses to difficult issues.’
‘Victoria Jeacock is always helpful and provides very clear advice.’
- 'Matthew Giles – his knowledge of both our scheme and the wider pensions legislation and practical application has been incredibly helpful. He is also commercial and puts forward pragmatic solutions to complex situations.'
- 'The SPB team is one of the strongest in the market. The lawyers are extremely impressive. The firm has immense expertise in pensions law and related areas including investments and banking.'
- 'Stephanie Wigman has thorough knowledge of our scheme which saves so much time and expense. We also get excellent back-up coverage from Alexandra Heggie so we feel we are extremely well supported.'
Key clients
- Greencore UK Defined Benefits Scheme
- DSV UK Group Pension Scheme
- IMS (UK) Pension Plan
- Land Rover Pension Scheme / Jaguar Pension Plan / Jaguar Executive Pension Plan
- C.U.K Limited Retirement Benefits Pension Scheme
- Omya UK Pension Scheme
- Rexel UK Limited
- Kerry Ingredients (UK) Limited
- IMI Deferred 2014 Fund
- The H.B. Fuller Retirement Benefits Plan
Work highlights
- Advised the trustee of the IMI Deferred 2014 Fund, sponsored by IMI plc, on £175m buy-in of all remaining uninsured liabilities.
- Provided all legal support to the trustee of the three defined benefit pensions sponsored by Jaguar Land Rover.
- Acted on the Virgin Media v NTL Pension Trustees II case in the High Court in 2023.
Lawyers
Hall of Fame
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Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Matthew Giles