Governmental pension and benefits plans face increasing challenges from revenue shortfalls, investment uncertainties, protesting taxpayers, concerned bondholders, growing regulation, and employees whom you still must compensate properly—a motivating factor of their public service. Lawyers at Dentons can help you, as we have helped others, steer a course among these competing forces.

We work with you to create, maintain and enhance pension and benefits arrangements that fit your employment needs in the context of your own community, even after the impact of federal mandates and local policy constraints, accounting and disclosure requirements, and income tax rules. Our lawyers can help your plan trustees and investment managers safeguard plan assets by negotiating and enforcing your rights under the diverse, sophisticated investment alternatives that currently are presented to you.

When you borrow, we can act as special pension counsel to explain your pension situation in offering documents for prospective bondholders. For the governmental bodies of American Indian tribes and other native peoples, long experience means our lawyers are especially sensitive to the need to preserve and protect sovereignty in benefits arrangements. We are adept at working in the unique world where Indian law and benefits law overlap, as do the needs of benefits arrangements both for traditional governmental function workers and employees of casinos or other commercial enterprises.

Dentons understands the political, cultural, economic and social environments in which your business operates. We recognize how these environments vary for governmental employers across global geographies, and we will apply that understanding for your benefit.

We don't offer administration, actuarial or other pension consultancy services.

Insights

CMA – protector of the public purse?

November 11, 2021 (Updated on February 18, 2022)

United Kingdom: Public bodies, as well as suppliers of products and services to the public sector, need to be aware that the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) will not only take action to ensure that markets work well for consumers and businesses, but will also take action to make markets work well in the interests of the public sector. 

Increasing the Normal Minimum Pension Age

August 19, 2021

United Kingdom: On 20 July 2021, the UK government published its policy paper (NMPA Policy) on the proposed increase of the normal minimum pension age (NMPA) from age 55 to age 57 with effect on and from 6 April 2028.