Pensions Solicitor

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a lawyer to join our pensions team.  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.
  

  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, demergers, 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 (including admissions to and exits from public sector schemes and the use of risk sharing mechanisms).
• Provide specialist advice, knowledge management and training to other business units.
  
  

About You

Essential and desirable criteria:

Essential:

• A qualified solicitor with experience relevant to the role with a current practising certificate in England and Wales.
• A mix of transactional and advisory work behind you, gained as part of a reputable pensions team and a willingness to continue with both strands of work.
• 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.
  

  Desirable:

• Good negotiation, communication and persuasive skills.
• Knowledge of public sector pensions landscape and the regulatory framework in which such schemes operate.
  

  Person specification:

• Because pensions law is technical and highly regulated, attention to detail and accuracy.
• Well-organised and self-motivated.
• Communication skills at all levels.
• Approachable and a team player.

About Us

Benefits of working with us:

• Private Medical Insurance

• Sight tests / Glasses discounts

• Scottish Widows Pension Scheme

• 28 days annual leave (plus public holidays)

• Bonus scheme

• Electric vehicle scheme

• International secondments for 0-5 PQE

• Happy People / Perks at Work benefits portal

• Cycle to Work scheme

• Life Assurance

• 1/3 gym membership contribution

• Flu vaccinations

Is HCR the smart move for you?

HCR suits people who love a challenge and want to work in an environment where careers thrive on the back of hard work and personal merit. Our people enjoy feeling part of something bigger than themselves, and whilst our clients drive our development, it is our people who bring their energy, enthusiasm, and entrepreneurial mindsets together to solve problems and help our clients succeed.

Why HCR people love their jobs

Our people tell us they enjoy working on good quality, interesting matters from a wide variety of our clients, because they get the experience they want to develop their careers. We will give you responsibility early, the mandate to make things happen and we'll back your good ideas. Our "Passion for People" lives and breathes every day throughout the firm as our peoples' energy and sense of fun create a warm environment in which to thrive.

What career progression will HCR offer you?

HCR's growth constantly creates opportunities for people who want to go places and make a difference, your career plan can become part of our growth plan. At HCR you can expect to work with friendly, energetic, ambitious people, who love getting stuck into a client problem, and enjoy celebrating a good outcome. Our people value the sense of community provided by the individual personality of each office and the collegiate approach across all our service and sector teams.

What does HCR believe, achieve and stand for?

As a Times Best Law firm, among the UK Top 60, we provide the full range of services that you would expect to organisations, business leaders and individuals. However, in our mission to give everyone the opportunity to experience a different kind of legal service we take an entrepreneurial approach. We're flexible and responsive to the needs of our clients, delivering the best outcomes for them. We have more than 800 lawyers and support staff, including more than 150 partners, and have been awarded the Law Society's Lexcel quality mark in recognition of our compliance and client care standards.

With ten offices in England and Wales our well-established presence stretches from west to east, ensuring clients can access a full-service legal offering no matter where they're located. We've expanded significantly in Birmingham, Cardiff and the Thames Valley, and our merger with Hewitsons resulted in a full service regional hub being established in the heart of the Waterside innovation area centre of Northampton. Our London and Cambridge continue to grow apace.

With solid connections in the communities we work in, and a track record of delivering legal advice to businesses and individuals throughout the areas we base ourselves in, our clients continue to value our approach to providing legal advice, in the way they need, when they need it.

As HCR is an equal opportunities employer, we don't just accept differences, we celebrate them. We want to attract a diverse and ambitious workforce that reflects all backgrounds and skills to create a workplace that is supportive and inclusive, recognises and nurtures talent, and which works together to achieve the best outcome for our clients. We are privileged to be an armed forces-friendly organisation.

We also want you to achieve your absolute best during the recruitment process.  Please let us know of any changes we can make at any point that will help support your application.  If this opportunity sounds of interest to you, please make an application and submit your CV. 

 
A note for recruitment agencies – The HCR Resourcing Team is responsible for recruitment across the firm, and where possible will use direct hiring methods. We do work with a Preferred Supplier List, and where appropriate, we will release vacancies to those agencies who we deem most appropriate to support us. Only those agencies will be invited to submit candidates via our recruitment portal. Any speculative or unsolicited CVs sent to any employee or Partner of HCR will not be considered an introduction, and no fees will be applicable. Furthermore, we retain the right to pursue these candidates without query of ownership

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