Paul Carney

Shoosmiths

Paul advises employers, trustees and public bodies on the legal aspects of all matters relating to pension law. Paul has particular expertise in advising on public service pension schemes and is experienced in drafting documentation for private sector schemes as well as providing ongoing advice on the day to day running of pension schemes. He also provides support to employers and trustees on pensions’ aspects of corporate transactions.

Paul’s recent work includes:

advising a higher education body in relation to its ongoing participation in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme, the Local Government Pension Scheme and the Universities’ Superannuation Scheme;
advising the trustees of an occupational pension scheme in relation to a challenge raised in connection with changes made to the rules of their pension scheme some years earlier in circumstances where those changes may, according to applicable (and recent) case law, have been incorrectly applied;
advising a local authority in its capacity as administering authority to one of the UK’s largest sections of the Local Government Pension Scheme;
advising the trustees of an occupational pension scheme further to a challenge from the Pensions Regulator which questioned their approach in agreeing to a corporate restructuring some three years previously;
advising the trustees of a number of UK pension schemes in relation to putting into place contingent assets and guarantees (including guarantees from non-UK guarantors) for the purposes of the PPF Levy.

Paul is a member of the Association of Pension Lawyers (APL), the North West APL and he is a committee member of the (national) APL’s sub-committee for Public Service Pension Schemes.

Contributed to

4

Central government outsourcing—Fair Deal 2013 and pensions

Practice notes

This Practice Note covers the impact and development of the Fair Deal guidance introduced on 4 October 2013 (Fair Deal 2013) on outsourcing contracts involving central government public bodies. In particular, it covers the background to, and the scope of, the Fair Deal 2013 protections, how Fair Deal 2013 protects the future service and past service pension benefits of public sector staff, the main differences between old Fair Deal and Fair Deal 2013, employees’ rights on re-tenders of existing contracts, bulk transfers back into and continuity of pensionable service in the public service pension scheme, participation agreements, contribution rates and exit payments as well as the principles of good employment practice for new hires.

Pensions

The legacy National Health Service Pension Scheme

Practice notes

This Practice Note covers the legacy NHS Pension Scheme (legacy NHSPS), which is composed of two separate sections, the 1995 Section and the 2008 Section.

Pensions

The reformed National Health Service Pension Scheme

Practice notes

This Practice Note covers the key features and aspects of the reformed NHS Pension Scheme (NHSPS), which came into force on 1 April 2015, including legal framework, funding, administration and governance, membership, pensionable service, contributions, retirement benefits and benefit structure, death benefits, transfers, and outsourcing.

Pensions

The Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS)

Practice notes

This Practice Note covers the key features and aspects of the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), including its legal framework, administration and governance, participating institutions, eligibility and membership, benefit structure, standard benefits, contribution levels, cessation of participation, and outsourcing.

Pensions