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Elspeth Beatty

She/herAssociate

I take time to understand the opportunities and challenges faced by clients. I enjoy working collaboratively with them to find pragmatic solutions.

About

Elspeth Beatty is a pensions lawyer, experienced in advising clients across a wide range of sectors in all aspects of pensions law. Prior to building her pensions practice, Elspeth practiced employment law and has particular knowledge of employment law issues as they relate to pensions.

Elspeth advises trustees and employers on a wide range of DB and DC pensions issues. Elspeth’s recent experience includes:

  • transfers to DC master trusts 
  • chair’s statements
  • interpreting scheme rules
  • consolidating and amending scheme documentation
  • data protection issues
  • drafting various pension scheme documentation
  • auto-enrolment requirements
  • compliance with legislative requirements
  • scheme closures
  • pensions tax issues
  • death benefit queries

Elspeth is active in DLA Piper’s North West Technology Sector Group. Elspeth is a member of the Association of Pensions Lawyers, the Pensions Management Institute, and was former vice chair of the Merseyside Women Lawyers Division of the Law Society.

Areas of FocusEmployment
Professional QualificationsSolicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales, 2010

EXPERIENCE

  • Advising the trustees of a pension plan in relation to an employer group re-structure (manufacturing sector). This involved the withdrawal of an employer from the final salary section of the scheme following payment of its employer debt, and the admission of new group employers into the money purchase section of the scheme.
  • Advising a number of schemes on bulk transfers of DC benefits into master trust arrangements. This involved advice in relation to the deed of participation, service agreement, data sharing agreement, transfer agreement and pre-funding agreement. These transactions have become increasingly popular, ensuring that DC members are provided with better value for money for their DC savings. 
  • Advising a principal employer operating in the energy sector, that employs ‘protected persons’ with special statutory protections attached to their pension benefits, in relation to the establishment of a new DB scheme and the bulk transfer of all assets and liabilities from the existing scheme.
  • Advising the trustees of a scheme in connection with the company’s proposal to close off the scheme to future accrual. The proposal came about due to the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the sporting sector. This involved advice on maintaining the link between members’ accrued past service benefits and final salary.
  • Advising a bank in connection with a broad wide range of pensions related queries including, for example, advice in connection with SIPPs and SSASs.
  • Advising a global consumer skin care company on the closure of all DB accrual, to protect the viability of the business and protect the security of members’ benefits in the scheme. 
  • Advising the trustees of a scheme in relation to GMP equalisation, pension increases in payment, revaluation of deferred benefits, and forfeiture.
 
Education
  • Nottingham Trent University, BA Hons, History First, 2004
  • College of Law, Chester, GDL Commendation, 2005
  • Nottingham Law School, LPC Commendation, 2006

Memberships And Affiliations

  • Association of Pension Lawyers
  • Pensions Management Institute

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