Practice Areas

Employee Benefits

This can be a complex issue for many of our clients and as such we have drawn together a cross-departmental team with expertise in different aspects of employee benefits. 

A good example of this is the service we provide in relation to employee share incentive schemes. There are many legal aspects to be considered when setting up an employee share incentive scheme.  This includes the implications of company law, trust law, tax law and the guidelines of the Irish Association of Investment Managers ("IAIM").  Accordingly the Employee Benefits team combines lawyers from our Corporate and Tax Departments as well as employment and pensions lawyers.

There are many types of incentive schemes available and you will need to ascertain the best scheme for your business.  We can advise you on this and draft the scheme itself.

Typically, we advise on the requirements for Revenue approval in respect of Save As You Earn ("SAYE") schemes, Approved Profit Sharing Schemes ("APSS"), Employee Share Ownership Plans ("ESOPs") and Employee Share Ownership Trusts ("ESOTs").

We also advise on unapproved share option schemes as well as restricted share schemes and share subscription arrangements.

The Employee Benefits team is also home to our expertise in the area of Pensions, an area which can be a minefield for the unwary employer. We advise both employers and Trustees of pension schemes on the setting up and operation of different types of pension schemes, such as defined benefit or, increasingly, defined contribution schemes.  We can advise you on the dissolution of pension schemes or help an employer through the difficulties of replacing a defined benefit scheme to defined contributions.

To find out more about how we can assist you with your Employee Share Incentive Schemes please contact one of the team members shown below.

Related Publications

• Budget 2013 – Overview for Employers

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