Pensions Associate

Pensions Solicitor | 1+ PQE | Manchester

One of the UK's largest and most highly regarded pensions practices is recruiting in Manchester, and the opportunity matters for anyone looking to build deep expertise in a team that handles complex, high-value pensions work.

Over the next few years, someone joining now will go from supporting pensions advisory work to running complex de-risking transactions, advising on scheme redesign and funding, and becoming a well-rounded pensions specialist with exposure across advisory, transactional and contentious work.

The Role

• Advise trustees and employers on day-to-day pensions matters, benefit redesign, scheme closures and liability reduction

• Support on de-risking transactions including buy-in, buy-out, longevity hedging and asset-backed funding arrangements

• Work on group pensions, master trusts, insurance products and other structures

• Gain exposure to pensions litigation, enabling a balanced approach to advisory work and full briefing on potentially contentious issues

• Collaborate with a large, expert team across multiple offices on high-value, technically complex matters

• Exceptional training, structured development and clear progression pathways

The Work
The caseload is broad and sophisticated: day-to-day pensions advisory, scheme restructurings, funding arrangements, de-risking projects (buy-in, buy-out, longevity products), corporate pensions support on M&A and restructurings, and pensions litigation.

The team advised on over 40 de-risking transactions in a recent year with a combined value exceeding £30bn, including multiple transactions over £1bn.

At 1+ PQE, the expectation is strong technical skills, excellent attention to detail, effective communication and ambition to succeed. As the team continues to grow, early-stage responsibility becomes running complex advisory and transactional matters, managing client relationships and contributing to business development.

The Platform
This is one of the largest pensions teams in the UK, with top-tier rankings in both Chambers and Legal 500, and recognition as European Pensions Law Firm of the Year multiple times in recent years.

The firm is a large, full-service international practice with offices across the UK and globally, offering a broad corporate and commercial platform, cross-departmental collaboration and exposure to cross-border work.

Why This Makes Sense
Pensions expertise is highly specialized and valuable. Building that expertise now, within one of the largest and most highly regarded pensions practices in the UK, with exposure to advisory, de-risking, litigation and corporate pensions work, creates a skill set that translates well further down the line.

The team's scale gives breadth of experience and junior-to-senior exposure that is hard to beat. The work is high-value, technically demanding and spans a wide range of pensions matters, which means becoming a well-rounded pensions lawyer rather than being narrowly specialized.

Apply now or contact Harrison for a confidential discussion.