All legal articles – Page 19
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Opinion
What schemes can learn from this year’s top 5 legal stories
Legal rulings on issues including increased pension loss payouts, clarification on RPI guidance and the introduction of new accounting reporting frameworks have challenged schemes to respond and factor in these changes in the year ahead.
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NewsOmbudsman's RBS ruling builds pressure on scheme comms
Pension schemes have been encouraged to increase the pre-retirement education given to scheme members, after the pensions ombudsman found the RBS Group Pension Fund “failed in [its] duty of care" to one member.
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Opinion
Could your scheme assets withstand a cyber attack?
In the event of an act of terror, pensions are likely to be the last thing on anyone's mind, but with senior experts recently predicting the "strong likelihood" of cyber attacks, what should schemes do to protect against the worst?
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News
Employers face increased pension loss payouts after NHS case
Employers may be liable to pay increased compensation relating to pension loss to employees dismissed unfairly, lawyers have warned, after a tribunal appeal found an earlier decision had miscalculated the sum owed to an NHS scheme member.
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Opinion
Justifying the fees: How to get value out of your lawyers
Any other business: "The trouble with life isn't that there is no answer, but that there are so many answers." This quote, attributed to Ruth Benedict, could easily be applied to the world of pensions law, where achieving consensus among lawyers is an almost impossible task.
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Opinion
Break up or make up? How to handle a split with your advisers
In trying to get the best outcomes for members, schemes may have to dump advisers from time to time. This can be costly, stressful and time-consuming, so what is the best way to ensure a smooth transition?
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NewsHow your scheme could benefit from the Arcadia CPI judgment
Employers have been encouraged to assess whether they can switch from the retail prices index to the consumer price index to reduce their liabilities, after a High Court ruling last week.
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News
Override sought ahead of state pension reforms
Legal experts have called for a statutory override in scheme rules to avoid members getting more benefits than originally intended from bridging pensions, as the industry approaches the switch to a single-tier state pension in 2016.
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Features
Mercer parent shuts DB scheme to equalise benefits
Marsh & McLennan Companies, the US-based parent of global consultancy Mercer, has decided to close its UK defined benefit scheme to future accrual in a stated attempt to create a level playing field between employees.
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FeaturesTfL faces fresh demands for contract worker DB membership
Transport union RMT has reignited calls for all Transport for London employees undertaking work on a contract basis to be allowed to join its defined benefit pension fund.
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Features
IBM case a lesson to consider scheme history
Schemes must look at historical context when considering and communicating benefit changes, lawyers have urged, after the High Court ruled earlier this month that technology company IBM breached its duty of good faith with employees when closing its defined benefit scheme.
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Features
BT suspends flexible retirement options during review
BT has suspended its flexible retirement option while it reviews the conditions under which it will consent to BT Pension Scheme members taking early payment of their pension while continuing to work at the communications company.
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News
Civil partner rule uncertainty poses questions for trustees
Schemes may want to consider holding off adjusting their spousal benefits, after a tribunal overturned a previous ruling that deemed entitlements should take into account membership pre-dating the Civil Partnership Act 2004.
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News
NUJ to appeal ombudsman ruling over BBC pensionable pay cap
The National Union of Journalists will appeal the pensions ombudsman’s determination that the BBC's pensionable pay cap did not breach its obligations, as more employers look to such tools to derisk schemes.
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News
Managers brace for legal tasks and precedents
2014 preview: The next 12 months should provide extra case law that affects the scheme-employer relationship, further auto-enrolment challenges and preparations for the abolition of contracting-out for defined benefit schemes.
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Opinion
PPF: How we hunt for value on legal advice
After eight years of operation, the Pension Protection Fund is now equivalent in size to many of the largest pension funds in the UK.
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NewsKodak deal captures new age of sponsor-scheme creativity
News analysis: Purchasing assets from insolvent sponsors could become more common for schemes looking to secure member benefits, according to lawyers working on the Kodak case.
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Opinion
Audits can speed up AE’s legal sign-off
Ferdinand Lovett proposes a four-stage audit so companies ensure they get the best from auto-enrolment legal advice
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NewsLaw firms poised for 2014 AE capacity crunch
An eightfold rise in the number of employers reaching their auto-enrolment staging date next year could leave many of them struggling to find the appropriate legal advice to complete the process, industry experts have said.
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News
How auto-enrolment exceptions help your scheme
News analysis: Exceptions to auto-enrolment regulations due next year will bring more flexibility to schemes, but may be too late to help those already enrolled.