Pensions Advisory Services
Zolfo Cooper has market leading experience in helping trustees and sponsors of defined benefit pension schemes to understand the strength of employer covenant supporting schemes and the implications for funding decisions. Employer covenant is the measure of the ability of a sponsor to support its pension scheme. It should inform decisions on technical provisions and investment strategy or when circumstances change, for example as a result of M&A activity or scheme events. We have the expertise and insightful, commercial approach to provide robust analysis and commercial advice to help you achieve the optimal outcome.
We supplement our pensions expertise with our banking, corporate finance and corporate restructuring experience. We are independent and don’t provide actuarial, investment, audit or taxation services, which means there is little prospect of conflicts of interest arising.
Operating across the country, we have specialist teams in London, Leeds, Manchester and Glasgow. The Pensions Advisory Services team is led by Gary Squires.
Trustee Advisory
We have a proven track record of advising trustees, giving clear analysis and commercial advice on all covenant-related matters, providing support through valuations, in considering scheme events, evaluating corporate transactions and in dealing with regulatory proceedings.
By addressing your problems and delivering practical solutions and support, we can help protect members’ benefits and provide confidence that you are doing the right thing.
We adopt a cost effective, proportionate approach, suited to the circumstances of your scheme and employer, working closely with other advisors and helping to preserve relationships.
We can support you through negotiations with the scheme’s sponsor and with the Pensions Regulator.
Sponsor Advisory
Defined benefit pension schemes can present significant financial challenges. We can help sponsors consider carefully their pension scheme exposure and adopt a proactive approach, based on a sound understanding of the regulatory environment and the information needs and obligations of trustees.
Zolfo Cooper can work with you to address covenant issues, deliver innovative solutions and work with your trustees to avoid unnecessary disruption to business, while preserving relationships.
We understand employers’ key business drivers and can help negotiate satisfactory solutions to the challenges presented by deficits, corporate events and scheme events with trustees and the Pensions Regulator.
When can we help you?
The services we offer include the following:
- Employer covenant assessment for trustees and sponsors:
- Scheme valuations
- Scheme closures
- Scheme apportionment and withdrawal arrangements
- Covenant monitoring
- Corporate restructuring, mergers, disposals, acquisitions and related regulatory clearance applications
- Insolvency analysis
- Regulatory issues:
- Supporting and defending regulatory proceedings (Financial Support Directions and Contribution Notices)
- Establishing the conditions for regulatory action
- Negotiation support
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