Richard Black Partner


Speaks:  English

Qualified: 1995 - Solicitor of England & Wales


Primary office:  Birmingham


Practice areas:



Richard Black

Richard Black is a highly regarded pensions partner with more than 20 years' experience. He advises both employers and plan trustees and is able to cut through the complexity of pensions law and the surrounding landscape to find solutions to their problems at both strategic and practical levels.

Richard has particular experience advising both corporates and trustees on the pensions aspects and implications of M&A and corporate restructuring transactions.

Richard is known for building relationships with clients and achieving the position of "trusted adviser". He has advised many of his current clients for over 15 years. His advice is direct and free of jargon and attuned to the commercial and legal framework within which pension plans operate. His clients include the sponsors and trustees of pension plans ranging from low £millions to £multi-billions.

Richard's recent experience includes advising a plan sponsor on a rationalisation of its existing UK pension arrangements, and advising trustees on a complex funding negotiation.

Richard is prominent in major legal directories such as Chambers and the Legal 500. He was the chair of the Midlands branch of the national Association of Pension Lawyers for over 10 years.

Richard served on the trustee board of Cure Leukaemia, a Midlands based charity, for 10 years. He was also until recently a member of the firm's diversity forum.

Experience

  • Advising a German employer on the integration of its seven existing UK defined benefits schemes into a new scheme, including an initial legal feasibility study and negotiations with each of the trustee boards; the project was delivered to time and budget
  • Advising the trustees of a FTSE 100 company's defined benefit scheme on the takeover of the sponsor, including negotiations with two bidders on suitable mitigation for the pension scheme
  • Advising the trustees of a high street retailer's scheme on the insurance of the pensioner liabilities and subsequent de-merger of the scheme to allow the buy-out of those liabilities.
  • Advising the trustees of a multi-billion scheme on the sponsor's proposal for closure to future accrual.

Practice areas

Career & Recognition

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