Chris Mullen is the national head of pensions and welcomed former Eversheds partner and secretary of the APL, Susan Andrews in February 2001. Clients are particularly enthusiastic about the personable attitude of the team, combined with a 'knowledgeable, responsive and meticulous' service. The combined pensions and employment department at Slaughter and May acts primarily for the firm's corporate clients, largely in the capacity of corporate support. The pensions department at Travers Smith Braithwaite punches above its weight, acting for the trustees of some of the industry's more high-profile schemes. The firm won the recently merged 2.5bn AXA UK Group Pension Scheme as a client, after Linklaters led the merger, and advised the trustees of the Barclays Bank UK Retirement Fund in the establishment of its money purchase section and subsequent victory in the High Court battle that ensued.
Clients enthuse about the 'nice team' that is 'prepared to think outside the box'.
Partners Paul Stannard and Stephanie Smith are both highly regarded and welcomed Peter Esam to the partnership in July 2001. Head of pensions at Ashurst Morris Crisp , Maria Stimpson , is respected by peers and is successfully building an experienced team of senior assistants. Despite a transactional bias, the practice handles a significant amount of on-going advisory work. Ian Gault at Herbert Smith is cultivating a sound pensions practice and represents an impressive list of clients, including the Faculty and Institute of Actuaries and Time Warner. The firm is advising the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency on the pension aspects of its proposed privatisation.