Joanne Tibbott

Listed as a "Next Generation Partner" in The Legal 500 UK rankings for 2022, Jo is a partner in our pensions team and brings 18 years' experience, advising trustees on all aspects of pensions law. She leads our DC Excellence team and chairs our firm's independent governance committee.. Her clients include two industry leading masters trusts including the Scottish Widows Master Trust and the hybrid scheme of an investment bank with DC assets of almost £2 billion, the NFU Mutual Pension Scheme (with DC assets of almost £1 billion).

Her recent experience includes:

• Advising trustees on a review of their default arrangement and the associated legal requirements relating to investment transition and communication with members.
• Advising a board of trustees on historical mapping exercises and whether they were caught by the default arrangement governance and charging requirements.
• Advising on all aspects of a consolidation of a master trust with another master trust including:
  • Triggering events and continuity options;
  • implementation strategy;
  • member and employer communications and
  • dealing with the Pensions Regulator.
• Advising one of the largest industry-wide schemes in the UK on the process for obtaining its master trust authorisation.
• Providing day to day advice to various master trust trustees on areas from benefit design changes, governance, transfers and ongoing supervision.
• Advising trustees and employers on several DC to DC Master Trust transfers.
• Advising a governance committee on its member communication and engagement plan. This resulted in an uptake in member engagement resulting in contribution rates being increased.
• Advising trustees and providing training on all aspects of DC governance and compliance including Chair's statements, SIPs, TCFD requirements and ESG more generally.