Expertise

Clive advises on all aspects of UK pensions law drawing on over 40 years’ experience as a pensions’ lawyer. He acts for employers, trustees and members, including on restructuring of schemes, contingent asset arrangements (including for PPF purposes), dealing with the Pensions Regulator and the Pension Protection Fund, and with member complaints at scheme and Pensions Ombudsman levels, advising on pension aspects of corporate transactions and on overseas transfers.

He also advises on pension death benefits and inter-generational wealth transfers in conjunction with our Private Client team.

Recent Experience

• Switch from RPI to CPI for pension increases: advising together with leading Counsel on trustee powers to switch index and relevant factors to be considered. Assisting trustee board in arriving at a legally robust decision. Switching took place, thereby significantly reducing the scheme deficit.
• Charge over employer property to reduce PPF levy and to underpin scheme’s deficit recovery plan: Charge completed very swiftly, with assistance from colleagues in our Property and Banking Teams. Significant reduction in PPF levy achieved.
• In relation to an EU (non-UK) based employer, advising on PPF entry ‘insolvency’ requirements under EU insolvency rules (in conjunction with our Business Recoveries team), to improve prospects for the scheme to enter the PPF should the need arise.
• Advising employer and trustees in charity sector regarding rights and obligations under pension scheme, including section 75 debt aspects. Employer and trustees now understand legal position.
• Advising family members of pension disputes including tax questions.

Career History

Clive holds a degree in Law from the University of Bristol and qualified as a solicitor in 1976. He founded the Wedlake Bell pension practice in 1978 and became a Partner in Wedlake Bell in 1985. He is one of the longest serving Wedlake Bell Partners and maintains a keen interest in the delivery of cost effective quality legal services.

Clive is a member of the Association of Pension Lawyers and of their Legislative and Parliamentary Committee. The Committee liaises with Government on pension legislation, meets with Government and pension authorities and comments on proposed new legislation.

Publications

Clive is one of the three joint Editors of “Law of Pension Schemes“. He is on the Editorial Board of Lexis on-line pension service which is widely used by the pensions industry.