Niamh Hamlyn

Partner

Niamh is a partner in the Pensions Department.

UK pensions

Niamh is experienced in advising both trustee boards and sponsoring employers on all aspects of UK pensions law. She is skilled at providing strategic advice in relation to funding negotiations and covenant changes and has advised extensively in the context of scheme restructurings, benefit design, data protection and ESG issues. She also advises on the impact of M&A activity on pension schemes.

Pensions de-risking

She has particular expertise in relation to pension de-risking, having advised insurers, sponsors and trustee boards on a large number of buy-in and buy-out transactions.

Sustainability

Niamh has a strong interest in ESG issues and has advised a number of trustee boards on compliance with climate governance and reporting requirements. She sits on Travers Smith's Sustainability Working Group and is a regular contributor of content to the Sustainable Business Hub.

Industry involvement

She has been named as a key lawyer for the Pensions team by this year's Legal 500 directory. Niamh is an active member of the Association of Pension Lawyers and previously sat on its Communications Committee. She has also been a member of the PMI London Group Committee.

Work highlights

Rothesay Life in relation to its £3.8bn buy-in of the Asda Group Pension Scheme

Bridgepoint on the pensions aspects of its acquisition of Miller Homes

Several employers on the closure of defined benefit pension schemes including by contractual agreement with employees

Trustees of a defined benefit pension scheme on negotiation of a comprehensive funding and profit sharing package designed to minimise covenant leakage

An employer on key pensions considerations paying regular and exceptional dividends

A number of trustee boards on compliance with climate governance and reporting requirements and wider ESG issues

As a non-pensions professional I could not manage our DB pension without the guidance I receive from Niamh Hamlyn. She is always on-hand to clarify things for me in a way that I can easily understand. She understands the culture of our company and responds extremely quickly.

Niamh is a very pragmatic and knowledgeable lawyer, and always provides an extremely considered response to matters. The delivery of advice is clear, well-documented and conclusions are simply drafted to aid in quick decision making.