togetherUnions & Pitmans Law

Regular client access to senior expertise ensures a commercial and proactive service.

Unions & Pitmans LawIntroduction

Understanding UnionsPitmans has a unique, deep, understanding of the Trade Union movement, the political sensitivities that underpin it and the balancing act Unions have to navigate as an employer as well as a representative of your members.

We appreciate the challenges Unions face. Juggling a mission to find a middle path is not easy. Reaching a mutually beneficial coordinated response from a starting point of diverse views, is no mean feat.

Marketplace perception is key. Unions must be seen to be doing the right thing. Pitmans understands the complexities of the movement and how to work with you to deliver results that protect your reputation and build on your collective strength.

Pitmans knows how to reconcile the need to achieve cost effective pensions for staff, with the need to campaign for high quality pension provision for Union members.

Pitmans Pensions and Unions

• Unrivalled Unions expertise: 20 year heritage

• Tier 1 ranked by Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners

• Discounted rates, designed to support the cause

• Regional value, from London

Recent projects

• UK roadshow sharing the implications of the latest pension schemes developments for Unions trustees and representatives; Q&A insights workshops, answering questions on the spot from the shop floor

• Establishing new, open to accrual, defined benefit schemes for two Unions and acting as ongoing legal adviser to the trustees

• Merging existing schemes into more affordable pension arrangements

• Advising on powers and rights on proposal for scheme closure

• Advising on restructuring of scheme benefits and de-risking

• Advising on pension impact of sale of the UK arm of a multinational and alternative strategies to avoid entry to the PPF

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Client focusCurrently legal advisors for Unions’ pensions schemes totalling over £2 billion in assets.

• Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL)

• BECTU

• Communication Workers Union

• Community

• Fire Brigades Union (FBU)

• National Union of Mineworkers (NUM)

• Unite

Pitmans Pensions also works closely with trustees and other pensions professionals. With over 200 clients, we act for active, closed and winding up schemes.

“The level of service has always been exemplary, they are fast to respond, proactive in approach and have a deep understanding of our firm due to a longterm relationship.”Legal 500

Some more of our clients• Army & Navy Club

• Aspen Healthcare

• Belfast Harbour

• Commissioners

• Canon

• Chiltern Group

• Cluttons

• Continental

• Fiat Chrysler

• Football Association

• Grohe

• Grundfus Pumps

• Hochtief

• Infineum

• Institute of Directors

• Iveco

• Jockey Club

• Kentucky Fried Chicken

• Leprosy Mission

• Premier Oil

• Reform Club

• Ryanair

• Singapore Airlines

• Standard Group

• State Bank of India

• Timios

• Vertu

• Wilsons Feed

• Linde Hydraulics

• Mal-Tool

• Olivetti

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Our servicesA comprehensive range of Pensions legal advisory services to reduce risk, manage deficits, limit liability, control costs and generate savings.

Q&A insights workshops: sharing the implications of latest developments on pension schemes

for Unions trustees and representatives and answering questions on the spot

Helpline: dedicated telephone service to answer your queries as and when needed

“What if” roundtables: scenario planning discussions to help you tackle queries from the shop floor

Equalisation deeds: reviewing scheme documentation to effect a pragmatic, robust and commercial solution

Supplemental deeds & rules: plain-English approach to all your documentation needs

Restructuring: advice focusing on providing cost saving measures covering benefit changes including closure to future accrual, the addition of DC sections and section 75 debt issues

Projects: merging schemes; transfers between schemes; winding-up and PPF entry; SIPPs; SSASs; QROPs and Master Trusts

Union merger: due diligence; pensions warranties and agreements; clearance applications

Pensions contracts: reviewing administration and investment management agreements

General advice: including legal and regulatory compliance, trustees’ powers, duties and discrimination

A complementary employment law advisory service for Unions’ employers and employees, addressing litigation needs and the full range of non-contentious issues from pre-recruitment to post-termination.

“The Trustees have benefited from clear, straight-forward advice presented in an easy to digest format. This has resulted in a strong working relationship.”Legal 500

Julian Richards Relationship Director

D +44 (0)207 634 4649

M +44 (0)771 713 1644

E jrichards@pitmans.com

• Previous Head of Pensions at Amicus, now Unite

• 15 years in-house expertise

• Established first national pensions advice service for lay and full-time officials

• Managed internal staff pension schemes:

• 2 open defined benefit schemes

• 11 different arrangements

• De-risking programme for 3 schemes, ultimately merged into 1 umbrella arrangement

• Amicus nominated trustee to 2 industrywide pension schemes:

• JIB for electrical contracting

• Plumbing & Mechanical Services UK (assets over £1,5 billion. 36,000 membership)

• Pitmans qualified pensions lawyer since 2010

• Legal advice to trade Union schemes

• Legal advice to members

Jonathan Gray Employment Partner

D +44 (0)238 083 7785

M +44 (0)782 594 0525

E jgray@pitmans.com

• 15 years working with GMB, Unite, Unison and their members

• Collective employment and Union legal issues

• Advising on recognition processes, collective bargaining and strike action

• Employment litigation at all stages

• Employment Appeals Tribunal

• Employment Tribunal

• ACAS conciliations and mediations

• Non-litigious advisory

• Documentation and procedures from pre- recruitment to post-termination

• Contractual variations

• Non-discriminatory redundancy schemes

• Restrictive covenants

• Confidentiality and data protection

• Employee benefits including pensions, share and bonus schemes

• Accredited workplace and employment law mediator

Your team

Pitmans People

• A trusted partnership providing practical and precise advice, fast

• A centralised service managed through your dedicated relationship director, Julian Richards

• Dedicated Unions pensions team of 5 including 3 partners

• Wider pensions and employment practice: 17 strong team, 7 partners

• Independent client feedback and listening programme through Pitmans dedicated client

• Relationships management team

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Value• City quality lawyers, in London, regional value

• Lower overheads, fees flexibility, no hidden surprises

• Discounted rates

• The certainty of fixed fees based on a transparent project scoping, agreed with you

• Participation in Trustee meetings

• Q&A insights workshops

• Helpline

• “What if” roundtables

• Training sessions

• Regular e-bulletins

• Using technology to drive efficiencies: document management systems, datarooms and extranets

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““The service Jonathan and his team provided was excellent, they would always go the extra mile. They are approachable, responsive and efficient, delivering the employment law answerswere needed, when we needed them.”Bob Lanning, Regional Officer, Unite

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“They are enthusiastic, responsive, diligent and tactically and commercially switched on. As importantly as all of that, they are thoroughly good guys with whom we have a great working relationship.”

About Pitmans Law R

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1860FOUNDED

200PEOPLE

39PARTNERS LOCATIONS

HQ, READING, LONDONAND SOUTHAMPTON

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Banking Charities & Not for Profit Energy Hospitality Insurance Life Sciences Real Estate Retail TMT Transport

The founding UK member firm of the global legal network, Interact Law

Banking & Finance Commercial CorporateData Protection Debt Recovery Dispute Resolution Employment Insurance Intellectual Property

Matrimonial & FamilyPensions Real Estate Restructuring & Insolvency Wills, Tax & Trusts

Tier 1 Ranked

Top 150 Law Firm

Regional Heavyweight

Lawyer 200 Star Performer

25 Practice areas “Ranked Highly” by legal 500

14Areas of expertise

10Sector specialisms

Over 25 firms worldwide

Award winnersLawyer of the year

Law Firm of the Year

Lex 100 Best Work/ Life Balance

21 Individuals “Recommended” by Chambers

Why Pitmans?• Unique, deep understanding of the Trade Union movement

• Unrivalled Unions client credentials

• Tier 1, robust, pensions advisory expertise

• Commercial, practical, responsive

• London team, regional value

Contact

Julian RichardsD +44 (0)207 634 4649

M +44 (0)771 713 1644

E jrichards@pitmans.com

Jonathan GrayD +44 (0)238 083 7785

M +44 (0)782 594 0525

E jgray@pitmans.com

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pitmans.com

Why Pitmans?• Unique, deep understanding of the Trade Union movement

• Unrivalled Unions client credentials

• Tier 1, robust, pensions advisory expertise

• Commercial, practical, responsive

• London team, regional value

“Pitmans have advised the trade unions in Tata Steel UK for a number of years. We have found the expertise of Julian Richards to be invaluable in helping us to navigate the regulatory framework and understand the complexities of the various options going forward. I could not be happier with the quality of the advice we have received and cannot overemphasise the importance of working with experts like Julian who understand industrial relations processes and the related sensitivities.”Alasdair Mcdiarmid, Head of Research and Policy,Community

pitmans.com

With Pitmans Law you can be assured of the quality of advice and service you demand from a city law firm – but with a distinction. The courage to stand apart, to think and act personably, with an uncompromising focus on achieving outstanding client outcomes. We say what we mean, matching our behaviours to our words. Established for over 150 years, Pitmans Law is headquartered in Reading with offices in London and Southampton. The lower overheads of a regional office ensure we can provide city quality legal advice at a competitive price to deliver exceptional value for our corporate and private clients locally, nationally and internationally.

Pitmans provides legal advice to address our clients’ needs across a wide range of industry sectors and specialisms including particularly strong specialist teams in pensions advisory, real estate, dispute resolution as well as corporate and commercial law. Our clients draw confidence from the top tier recognition Pitmans achieves in the industry benchmarking directories, Legal 500 and Chambers UK.

Contact usT +44 (0)345 222 9222E law@pitmans.com

Reading, London, SouthamptonPitmans Law is the founding UK member firm of the global legal network, Interact Law.