Pensions Solicitor - NQ
BCL Legal are working with a Top Tier L500 national law firm who are recruiting for a newly qualified solicitor to join their office in Northampton.
About The Role:
The team specialise in finding commercially effective solutions to pensions problems, drafting scheme documentation and advising on transactions involving pension schemes.
The successful candidate will:
- Provide good quality, consistent, timely, solution focussed and pragmatic pensions law advice to trustee and employer clients across the public and private sector.
- Contribute specific, technical analysis of the pension law aspects of corporate activity and take a role in negotiations to ensure an appropriate outcome.
- Contribute to the internal legal knowledge management system and support the learning and development of colleagues and clients through formal or informal training.
- Represent and support the firm both internally and externally.
Main responsibilities:
- Draft scheme documentation.
- Provide high quality robust legal advice on the interpretation of scheme rules, the exercise of discretionary powers and the management of pension disputes, including the instruction of Counsel where appropriate.
- Advise on issues such as scheme funding, benefit design and investments.
- Work on risk reduction and risk transfer exercises, including liability management and other one-off projects such as incentive exercises and scheme closures, mergers, de-mergers, buy-outs and wind-ups.
- Provide support on mergers, acquisitions or disposals, covering everything from an assessment of the seller's pension arrangements to advice on warranties and the employer debt regime.
- Advise on compliance with the auto-enrolment regime, including the use of contractual enrolment and salary sacrifice arrangements, whether particular individuals are within the scope of the regime and the implications of changing to a new provider.
- Advise on public sector pensions, particularly involving the local government, healthcare and education sectors.
- Provide specialist advice, knowledge management and training to other business units.
About You:
- A qualified solicitor 0-2 years' PQE with experience relevant to the role.
- A mix of transactional and advisory work behind you, gained as part of a reputable pensions team.
- Relevant legal knowledge of, e.g., the Pensions Act 1995, Pensions Act 2004, Pensions Act 2008 and related legislation.
- Experience of providing consistent, clear, audience tailored, legal advice on a range of pension law matters.
- Able to prioritise a portfolio of work with competing deadlines and use own initiative.
- Attention to detail and accuracy.
What's on offer:
- Extensive benefits package
- Bonus scheme
- International secondments for 0-5 PQE
A competitive salary on offer for the right candidate.
Please contact Soph Memhi at BCL Legal for more information.