Pinsent Masons LLP offers ‘all-around excellent advice and support’ to clients in the banking, oil & gas, energy and public sectors. Ruth Tobias leads the ‘knowledgeable, prompt and helpful’ team which excels at advising on the simplification of benefits structures, ensuring clients remain contractually compliant in addition to assisting with data protection issues. Tobias is noted for her work on defined benefit schemes, often advising clients on section 75 obligations, pension sharing orders and flexible apportionment arrangements. Both Ian Gordon and Cameron McCulloch increase the practice’s strength in risk management. Amie Bain is adept at handling a wide range of matters relating to defined benefit (DB) schemes.

The ‘pragmatic’ pensions team at Shepherd and Wedderburn often handle high-profile schemes for domestic and international blue-chip clients. The practice leadership team consists of Andrew Holehouse, Louisa Knox, Edwin Mustard and Kirsty Headden. The group is active in the energy, transportation, education and manufacturing sectors. Holehouse assists clients with scheme amendments and offers day-to-day pension advice whilst Knox is hailed as ‘the best pensions lawyer in Scotland’. Mustard is a key contact for public sector clients, whilst ‘great communicator’ Headden offers trustees Cyber Security and GDPR-related advice.

Praised by clients for providing ‘pragmatic and practical’ advice, Brodies LLP is a key contact for the trustees of large pension schemes. Juliet Bayne heads the practice, which is active in the oil & gas, education and real estate sectors. Bayne is qualified to advise on all types of schemes, working on deferred premium buy-ins, illiquid asset sales and flexible apportionment arrangements. Alistair Hill is adept at handling scheme mergers, GMP equalisation and regulatory compliance. Jennifer Crawford is well-equipped to assist both trustees and employers with a wide range of work.

Burness Paull LLP is noted for taking a ‘client-orientated approach’ in its pensions practice, which is spearheaded by the ‘experienced, pragmatic and extremely knowledgeable’ Margaret Meehan. The team focuses on disputes, the creation of new pensions products and changes to benefits packages. Meehan often acts for blue chip clients whilst Sarah Phillips advises on the full range of matters related to defined benefit schemes. Liam Young stands out for his knowledge of TUPE transfers and insolvency matters.

James Keith and Martyn Shaw jointly lead the pensions team at Morton Fraser MacRoberts, which is noted by clients for providing ‘exceptional service’. The practice regularly advises clients on risk management, scheme liabilities and the bulk transfer of assets. Keith has an ‘excellent working knowledge’ of schemes in the private, public and third sectors. Shaw offers clients ‘strong, positive’ advice and is well-known for his work on asset-backed funding arrangements and the division of pension proceeds post-divorce.

Burges Salmon LLP offers clients ‘practical advice’ and is skilled at handling problems arising from defined benefit and defined contribution trust schemes. The team, which is led by Richard Knight, focuses on advising trustees on compliance issues and assisting with negotiations. Helen Woodford is a key name within the team and is noted for her expertise in employer funding and internal complaints issues. Kelly Beattie works for a variety of stakeholders and has built a strong track record for representing public sector clients.

Noted by clients for housing one of the ‘premier pensions teams in Scotland’, CMS focuses on trustees, employers and insurers. Department head Jae Fassam leads the team, which advises on scheme liabilities, conducts benefits reviews and facilitates transitions to new service providers. Fassam routinely handles liability-driven investment claims, acting a key contact for international corporations, banks and leading pension providers. Claire Miller is an expert in benefit rectification projects, employee training and master trust transfers.