Advising some of the largest pension schemes in the UK, A&O Shearman boasts one of the most developed and specialist pension teams. The team is capable of advising on some of the most complex risk transfer deals and large-scale scheme restructurings, advising an even split of employers and trustee clients. The practice is led by the ‘industry veteran’ Neil Bowden, who supports some of the industry’s largest pension schemes. Bowden is a specialist in liability management and swap transactions, with key experience in litigation. The ‘superstar’ Jane Higgins, an expert in risk transfer and pension scheme consolidations, and the ‘excellent’ Andy Cork, a pensions strategic adviser experienced in consolidations and a leader in buy-ins and buyout projects, bolster the team’s wider abilities. Francesca Parnell advises leading banks and companies on a number of pensions matters.

Covering the full array of pensions work, and possessing one of the largest teams, CMS advises trustees, employers, consultants, and insurers on every aspect of pension schemes. The practice is particularly experienced in benefit redesign, scheme closures, and liability reduction, in addition to having specialist expertise in de-risking. The ‘extremely knowledgeable’ Maria Rodia is experienced in de-risking and advising companies in the energy sector, as well as insurers and reinsurers, and other large pension schemes. Mark Atkinson, an industry leader with deep experience acting for trustees and companies in occupational pension schemes, provides daily advice to many leading companies. Other notable practitioners on the team include Keith Webster, a leading adviser to a number of the UK’s largest DB and DC master trusts; Mark Jenkins, a contentious and non-contentious pensions adviser experienced in scheme mergers, benefit design, and restructuring; and Johanna Clarke, who focuses on DC master trusts, trustees transferring to master trusts, and master trusts consolidation.

Fielding a notably broad offering, the team at Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP acts for employers, pension schemes, public authorities, pension providers, fund managers, and insurers and re-insurers active in the private and public sectors. Advising on some of the most groundbreaking pensions developments, practice head Jeremy Goodwin is an expert across DB and DC schemes, DB master trusts and superfunds, and ESG matters. Francois Barker is an expert in advising corporate sponsors and UK and international pensions funds in DB and DC arrangements. Mark Latimour, the team’s head of risk transfer and a practitioner who acts for the majority of the UK’s key insurers, and Sarah Swift, a key adviser for numerous prominent companies' schemes, provide further bench support. Michael Jones, head of the national DC practice, adds to the team’s regulatory and governance abilities, while Charlotte Cartwright bolsters the practice’s corporate, M&A, and restructuring offerings.

Linklaters LLP has a full-service pensions team that works on some of the most complex and market-leading matters. The team is experienced on all aspects of pensions for the fund’s trustees, corporates, insurance companies, and consolidation vehicles in liability management, funding, end-game planning, investment, corporate reorganisations, transactions, and insolvency, and DC schemes and fund consolidations. Led by ‘one of the best pensions lawyers’, Claire Petheram is experienced in advising trustees, corporates, and financial institutions in liability management, transferring DC assets, funding DB schemes, investment issues, takeovers, and more. Rosalind Knowles, a specialist in benefit change programmes, valuation negotiations, and funding, buyouts, and governance issues, and Sarah Parkin, an expert in de-risking, are highly-regarded members of the team. Lorna Mitchinson is a rising figure with experience in M&A, funding negotiations, de-risking, and investigations concerning the Pensions Regulator.

Fielding a specialist team in master trusts and risk transfers that works with a host of household pensions industry names, Pinsent Masons LLP regularly advises on market-leading pensions matters. The team is also proficient in buy-ins and buyouts, assisting on administrative and governance matters, long-term funding negotiations, and longevity swaps. Manchester-based Stephen Scholefield leads the national pensions team, while Mark Baker, a DC master trust specialist, heads the team in London. Matthew de Ferrars, the risk transfer head, is an expert in pension buy-ins and longevity transactions and scheme winding-up projects. Stewart Murphy is a leading practitioner in DB advisory, DB risk transfer, winding-up DB occupational pension schemes, public sector outsourcing, and corporate transactional work.

A specialist firm focusing solely on pensions, Sacker & Partners LLP advises on complex and high-value work, from strategic issues and scheme funding to derisking, tax issues, and DC developments. The team advises over 400 occupational pension schemes, including 36 of the UK’s top 200 pension funds. Led by David Saunders, an expert in DB and DC pension arrangements, mergers and demergers, scheme funding, and derisking, the team has strengthened the bench with the hire of Andy Lewis, a specialist in complex projects, covenant, DC solutions, and contentious matters, and the pension aspects of corporate transactions. Other key figures include Janet Brown, a specialist in DB and DC arrangements, and derisking; Fuat Sami, experienced in funding, restructurings, and derisking in M&A transactions; and Jacqui Reid, a regular adviser to DC master trusts, DC and DB occupational schemes, personal pension providers, and IGC and FTSE 100 companies.

Advising some of the largest schemes in the UK for trustees, employers, and bulk annuity insurers, Slaughter and May has deep experience advising multi-billion-pound schemes on all aspects of pensions law. From big-ticket buy-ins and buy-outs to daily pension project planning, the team possesses a formidable reputation in high-value deals. Practice head Charles Cameron is a specialist in the industrial and manufacturing sectors with experience advising on benefit change exercises and derisking multi-billion pound schemes. Daniel Schaffer is one of the team’s leading partners with nearly three decades in practice, specialising in benefit redesign projects, scheme restructurings, regulatory disputes, and covenant and funding solutions. Chris Sharpe, a leading practitioner in collective DC schemes, is also recommended. Charles Magoffin joined the team from Freshfields in 2024.

Travers Smith LLP’s pensions team is experienced in advising the UK’s largest DB and DC pension schemes, covering a host of matters from risk and liability management, investment, contracts, funding and security to employment, tax, governance, and disputes. The practice boasts a risk transfer specialism and is advising on innovative schemes diversifying into the private equity and ESG and sustainability spaces. The team is led by the derisking and trustee advisory expert Susie Daykin. Other standout figures include Daniel Gerring, experienced in advising some of the UK’s largest schemes on covenant, regulatory and governance issues, and David James, who advises employers on pension obligations, and in relation to corporate activity. Andy Lewis left the team in 2024 for Sacker & Partners LLP.

A specialist law firm in sole pensions work, Arc Pensions Law handles a range of complex and novel work on pension schemes, from scheme wind-ups to documentation issues, bulk transfers, and regulatory matters. The team works with trustees, employers, master trusts, and industry providers, receiving their work directly from client appointments. Practice head Anna Rogers is an industry veteran notably experienced in DB pension schemes, focusing on journey-to-settlement activities, risk management, and insurance risk transfer. Jane Kola is experienced in workplace pension arrangements, specialising in DB scheme restructuring and investment matters. Anna Copestake is another stand-out practitioner, working in DB and DC schemes, focusing on governance and investment risk management. Sonya Fraser, experienced in DB and DC schemes and focused on trustee compliance and end-game planning, is also noted.

From strategic journey planning to daily pensions advisory work, the Baker McKenzie pensions team advises trustees, providers, and corporate-side clients on a host of pensions matters. The team works cross-practice to offer clients, often cross-jurisdictionally, advice on risk transfers, buy-ins and buyouts, carve-outs, pension scheme restructurings, and resolving issues related to multiple benefit sections and covenant support arrangements. Arron Slocombe, an expert in pension buyouts and liability management, regulatory clearance work, scheme mergers, and benefit and corporate restructurings, leads the team. The team is supported by stand-out practitioners Jonathan Sharp, a specialist in advising companies and trustees on amending schemes, investments, and resolving members’ complaints; Jeanette Holland, a specialist in large-scale restructurings involving the mitigation of pensions risks; and Tom McNaughton, experienced advising industry-wide schemes in risk management.

With client across the UK, Burges Salmon LLP‘s pension practice draws on their regional excellence to advise on matters ranging from daily scheme advisory work and assisting with DB and DC schemes to complex, multidisciplinary investigations. The team has a leading alternatives-to-buyouts focus and boasts being on both central and local government panels for pensions work. The team is led by Bristol-based Richard Knight, an expert in DB and DC schemes and risk transfer, who advises some of the largest companies in the UK. Steven Hull joined from Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP in 2024, contributing to the team's London presence.

Advising standalone advisory and insurance clients, multinational corporates, and private equity companies, Clifford Chance LLP‘s pensions team regularly works on large-scale, high-value matters, covering benefit specifications, buy-ins and buyouts, and professional negligence to DB and DC pension schemes and daily advisory pensions work. Clare Hoxey advises multinational public and private corporations, insurance companies, private equity houses, and trustees of occupational pension schemes on the full gamut of pensions matters. Sarah McAleer is experienced in employer and trustee advisory work, and in the M&A and transactional aspects of pensions issues. Former head of the practice, Hywel Robinson, left the practice in May 2025 for Temple Bright.

David Gallagher, practice head for Fieldfisher‘s pension team, has over two decades of pensions law experience, regularly working with a range of employers, trustees, product providers, and financial institutions. Having substantially grown in the last five years, the team boasts a multijurisdictional ability and sector expertise in advising schemes for energy companies. The team is also well versed in liability management projects, buy-ins and buy-outs, and master trust transfers. Other notable team members include Oliver Reece, a regulatory disputes, M&A, restructuring, and insurance specialist, who joined the practice in 2024.

Gowling WLG‘s pensions team represents a host of high-profile clients across scheme advisory, employer advisory, pensions risk transfer, and dispute-based matters. The team has had an active year advising on DB schemes, transferring AVCs and DC benefits to master trusts, supporting employers with liability management exercises, advising in the public sector space, assisting the PPF, acting for insurers, and working on large trustee-side transactions. The team is led by the Birmingham-based Elizabeth Gane. In London, other notable practitioners include Jason Coates, a specialist in scheme advisory and employer advisory matters.

Advising a range of leading trustee names, employers, insurers, and fund managers, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP‘s team is experienced in the full gamut of pensions work. Capable of advising insurers in addition to trustees and corporates in de-risking, the team has recently worked with the PPF and major investment management multinationals on pensions issues. Leading the team is Samantha Brown, also the leader of the team’s de-risking group and key figure responsible for relationships with some of the team’s largest clients. Other key figures include Rachel Pinto, an expert in de-risking transactions for insurers, trustees, and employers, and Michael Aherne, who furthers the team’s ability in transactional and advisory work, particularly in the energy sector.

Mayer Brown International LLP‘s pensions practice group has longstanding relationships with large pension scheme providers, who turn to the team for its expertise across the financial and investment, electricity and energy, and retail sectors. Key workstreams for the group include master trust bulk transfers, buy-ins and buy-outs, advising pension product advisers, and restructuring-related matters. The practice is co-headed by Jay Doraisamy, a specialist in scheme valuations, restructuring, employer covenant issues, and implementation of DEI in relation to schemes, and Andrew Block, experienced in buy-ins, restructuring, and employer covenant and funding packages. Other key practitioners include Duncan Watson, who leads on the team’s investment work advising schemes, investors, and asset managers on investment funds.

From collective DC and master trusts, de-risking, and corporate deal support, to ESG and sustainability investment, data protection, and insolvency and restructuring, the pensions team at Squire Patton Boggs represents some of the biggest schemes in the pensions world. With a sector-focused approach for schemes in regulated utilities, such as the water, nuclear, and electricity practices, the team specialises in public sector pensions. Matthew Giles leads the national practice, while Wendy Hunter, with nearly three decades in practice for employers and trustees on all aspects of pensions law, leads in London. Other noteworthy practitioners alongside her are Kirsty McLean and Chris Harper.

Boasting a growing team that represents some of the largest group pension schemes in the market, Stephenson Harwood‘s pensions team supports clients in multiple jurisdictions on advisory matters and various tax issues, working with a host of trustees and sponsors. Practice head Stephen Richards is an expert in big schemes, advising employers, trustees, and master trusts on day-to-day matters. Other stand-out practitioners include Philip Goodchild, a specialist in the not-for-profit sector who advises on liability reduction exercises, and Estella Bogira, a private wealth and occupational pensions expert. Naeem Noor is also noted for the breadth of his experience across general advisory, transactional, and contentious matters.

Dentons‘ team is experienced in advising employers and sponsors across the gamut of pensions matters, covering DB and DC schemes, life assurance arrangements, healthcare trusts, restructurings, and public sector schemes. Able to call upon its sizeable global network, the team often works cross-border on the pensions aspects of global corporate transactions. Eleanor Hart, a specialist in working with trustees and employers, heads up the London office. Other key team members include veteran pensions practitioner and ESG expert, Carolyn Saunders.

Drawing praise from clients for its ‘excellent blend of technical expertise, proactivity, collaboration, and user-friendly advisory style’, Macfarlanes LLP‘s wide-ranging capabilities include insurance-based pension risk transfer transactions, pension liabilities, financing provisions, and key regulatory questions. Andrew Barton, who heads the firm’s specialist insurance team, is noted for his strong track record in insurance de-risking for defined pension schemes. Pensions head Faye Jarvis is engaged by a host of corporates and employers for her pension liabilities management expertise. Other key figures include Madison Kaur and Scarlett Yu.

Working with the full range of pensions clients, including employers, trustees, insurers, lenders, and service providers, Norton Rose Fulbright is experienced in corporate advisory work, transactions, trustee and employer advisory matters, product development, and investment work.  Recently, the team has focused on growing its sector expertise in consumer markets, energy, infrastructure and resources, financial institutions, life sciences, and technology in buy-ins and consolidation, TPR enforcement powers, restructuring, and risk transfer. Lesley Browning, whose capabilities span pensions regulatory and governance matters, corporate transactions, scheme mergers, restructuring, buy-ins and buy-outs, and investment issues, leads the team.

Reed Smith LLP‘s pensions team manages a number of complex, high-value schemes, advising on a range of matters from funding negotiations and risk transfer strategising to restructuring, consolidation, investment management, and benefit structuring. The team is led by Will Sutton, a trusted adviser to trustees, employers, investors, and lenders on scheme mergers, closures, funding, buy-ins and buy-outs, and the pension aspects of M&A, Simon Hartley, an expert in scheme documentation, mergers, funding and covenants, employer debts, and litigation, and Justine Senior, a veteran practitioner in scheme management, complex funding, covenant negotiations, and restructuring.

Working with some of the largest financial services companies, Simmons & Simmons‘ growing pensions team has considerable experience in DB surplus schemes, de-risking DB pensions arrangements, advising multinationals on the pensions aspects of M&A, GMP equalisation, investigations and compliance. At the helm is Danny Tsang, an expert in advising corporate clients in benefit structures, including scheme mergers and de-risking solutions. Other standout practitioners include Edward Smith and Laura Friedman.

With a particular focus in tech, data protection, and cybersecurity, Taylor Wessing LLP‘s pensions practice regularly assists trustees and employers with cybersecurity-related training on pensions matters. Additionally, the team handles pensions work related to company restructurings, buy-ins and buy-outs, and day-to-day advisory work for employer schemes. Practice head Mark Smith, advises on the full range of pension schemes for a diverse range of FTSE 100 companies, public bodies, and charities.

Drawing on the strength of the wider national group, Addleshaw Goddard‘s pensions practice advises blue-chip corporates and trustees boards, who turn to the firm for its wide-ranging offering, including its specialist bulk annuities team, strong M&A pensions transactional offering, specialist SIPP, SSAS, and pensions products team, and pensions investment expertise. Catherine McAllister, experienced in valuation discussions, corporate reorganisations, and buy-ins, and Rachel Uttley, who leads the bulk annuity practice, co-head the team.

Led by John Gordon, a practitioner with over twenty years of experience in advising private and public UK and multinational employers and trustees, Ashurst‘s pensions team often advises on some of the most complex DB and DC pension schemes. Working on a wide range of corporate and regulatory matters, the group works closely with the restructuring team for pensions-related work, advises corporates, lenders, and trustees in refinancing matters, and calls on its sector-expertise in the rail industry to advise rail companies.

Covering all major areas of pensions, and increasingly engaged by clients in the public and education sectors, as well as master trusts, gunnercooke LLP is noted for its unique professional trustee company that acts for small schemes across the UK, focusing on planning, accountability, and addressing regulator concerns. Helen Miles, a specialist in DB schemes, governance, transactional work, and liability management, and Parminder Latimer, an expert in scheme mergers and end-game strategies, are the key contacts.

Irwin Mitchell‘s pensions practice regularly operates across the higher education, charity, and manufacturing sectors in restructuring and pensions disputes.The firm provides pension tax advice with private wealth expertise, and has recently developed a specialism for advising employers and individuals in setting up and running Sharia-compliant schemes for DC savings. Penny Cogher, a pensions law and private wealth veteran, and Martin Jenkins, an expert in sponsors on benefit review and de-risking, run the London office, while Donna Seferta heads the wider team from Birmingham.

Working cross-departmentally with their employment, corporate, tax, regulatory, and financial services teams, Keystone Law‘s pension practice is experienced in pension plans, benefit designs, wind-ups, investment issues, share incentive plans, among other key workstreams. The practice’s key contact is Monica Ma, who possesses nearly three decades of experience advising employers and trustees. Other notable practitioners include the recently hired David Griffiths.

TLT’s notably growing pensions team advises household-name clients and government departments on public sector pensions, master trusts, and SSAS and FURBS matters. The team is led by the Bristol-based Sasha Butterworth, an expert in pension change projects, regulatory products, and master trusts.  The dual qualified (England and Wales and Northern Ireland) Chris Crighton is also a stand-out practitioner.

With the ability to navigate the private, public, and third sectors, Trowers & Hamlins LLP has longstanding relationships with household-name clients in the pensions space. The team advises housing providers and charities, local authorities, and service providers in matters ranging from DB pension arrangements to protecting clients from liabilities arising from Pensions Trust benefit review cases. Practice head Martin McFall's expertise covers salary-related schemes, restructuring, liability management, and wind-ups.

Wedlake Bell LLP‘s pension practice advises employers, trustees, intermediaries, and insurers on a range of pension matters, from tax-efficient employee incentive arrangements, end-game planning, and liability management to corporate transaction support, compliance, and private client issues. The team regularly acts for a range of household names, often advising on cross-jurisdictional matters. Justin McGilloway, who leads the team, has over twenty years of experience acting for employers, trustees, pension providers, and individuals on a host of pensions matters. Paul Ashcroft is also recommended.

Acting for trustees, providers, insurers, and sponsoring employers, Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP‘s pension team advises some of the UK’s largest companies. The team is noted for its focus on the public and voluntary sector, has close links to regulatory bodies, and also offers contentious pensions experience. Martin Poore leads the wider team from Newcastle, while other key contacts include Tracy Walsh and Suzanne Duff.