Practice Areas

Led by Peggy Hughes, we have a dedicated team of specialist pensions solicitors who provide a full range of pensions law services to our domestic and multinational clients.  Our Pensions Team, which forms part of the Employment and Benefits Department, provides a service which is solutions and results focused representing a broad range of clients including employers, pension scheme trustees, public sector clients and scheme members.  Some of the specialist pensions services provided by the Team are as follows:

Advisory

• Retirement benefit vehicle planning and design – e.g. exploring the type of retirement benefit vehicle to provide such as personal retirement savings accounts (PRSAs), defined benefit and defined contribution schemes;
• Drafting, amending and reviewing scheme documentation – including establishment documentation and amending/updating documentation and negotiating the terms of same (e.g. trust deeds, scheme rules, member explanatory booklets, IDR procedures, investment management agreements, terms of business/service level agreements);
• Exploring the options for effecting pension changes including restructuring/derisking of pension schemes – e.g. moving from defined benefit to defined contribution, changing scheme benefit structures, closing schemes to new members, ceasing future benefit accrual and introducing or increasing member contributions;
• Liaising with pensions regulators – including Pensions Board, Pensions Ombudsman and Revenue Commissioner communications e.g. approval/registration of schemes, handling regulator queries updating regulators on scheme changes etc.;
• Providing trustee advisory and training services – e.g. advising on conflicts of interest, indemnities, appointment and removal of trustees, trustee duties and obligations and establishing and operating IDR procedures  Attending trustee meetings and providing trustee training;
• Advising on pension scheme wind-up and funding standard issues – e.g. triggering a pension wind-up, notifications, consultation, employer and trustee powers, dealing with scheme funding issues and exploring the options for addressing same;
• Advising on cross-border and pensions equality issues;
• Advising in relation to pensions investment management/custodianship matters – e.g. negotiating terms of agreements etc.;
• Advising on pension product and pension services provider issues – including reviewing pension product documentation, advising on Registered Administrator matters, drafting service level agreements and advising on product  approval/compliance and related matters;

Contentious Pensions Matters

• Advising and representing clients in pensions litigation;
• Advising and representing clients in relation to Pensions Board and Pensions Ombudsman investigations and disputes;

Corporate Support

• Advising on the pensions aspects of corporate transactions.

Publications and Pensions Industry Participation

Our Pensions Team has contributed articles on pensions related issues to a number of publications.  Our Team are members of and hold council/committee positions within specialist pensions industry organisations, have spoken on pensions related issues at a number of events and facilitated tutorials in the Law Society of Ireland on pensions matters in Family Law and on Litigation.

Recommendations:

Chambers Europe – Europe’s Leading Business Lawyers, Chambers and Partners, 2011
Peggy Hughes is recommended as a “key individual” who has become an “increasingly experienced pensions specialist”.

Legal 500, 2011
The employment team at Mason Hayes & Curran has provided pensions advice to the likes of Mylan and LeCrosse.

Related News

• Pensions Update - February 2012
• Mason Hayes & Curran Appoints Peggy Hughes as Partner

Related Publications

• Pensions Update
• Pensions Update - February 2012
• Pensions Brochure

Our People

• Peggy Hughes
  Head of Department
  
• Deborah McHugh
  Partner