UK Guide 2026 : UK-wide
Ranked Individuals
Provided by Stephenson Harwood LLP
Our clients range from pension scheme trustees to sponsoring employers; from multi-nationals and banks to charities and not-for-profits; from actuaries and scheme administrators to lawyers and documentation providers. We work with pension consultants to help them with remediation projects arising from systemic issues, advising upon scheme unauthorised payment issues, client-money issues, referrals to regulatory bodies (including the Pensions Regulator and IoFA), professional standards, and problems arising from transfers (including enhanced due diligence obligations).
Key work includes dealing with professional negligence claims and the often-associated rectification/construction applications.
The team are highly experienced in all types of pensions disputes cases, including:
Provided by Chambers
Stephenson Harwood advises clients on the full range of pensions disputes. The team regularly handles investigations by the Pensions Regulator as well as offering expertise in relation to the pensions aspects of insolvency and professional negligence matters. The firm is also noted for its extensive work on rectification and construction cases.
Provided by Chambers
Stephenson Harwood acted for the representative beneficiary in proceedings regarding the BBC Pension Scheme and the scope of amendment powers.
Provided by Chambers
It feels like Stephenson Harwood is an extension of our team, and is incredibly tenacious.
I value the team's clarity of advice and commercial pragmatism.
Stephenson Harwood is committed to understanding our business, meaning that advice is commercial and in line with our risk appetite.
The team is technically superb whilst also being grounded and down to earth.
Provided by Chambers
Helena provides excellent client service and is happy to help with the wide ranging selection of matters we point in her direction.
Helena is very tenacious and willing to fight for the client.
Helena Berman is really through and really bright. She's really invested in the outcome and holds our hand throughout the process.
Chris is an excellent lawyer with a very good understanding of pensions law, who delivers advice in an easily digestible way.
Chris is technically outstanding.
Chris is really good at thinking through what we really need and making sure that the advice is commercial.
Jenny is technically excellent and has a great instinct for how to approach a dispute in a commercial way to shortcut to resolution.
Jenny is fantastic at case management and client management - she thinks about how to get to the optimum for clients and thinks long term.
Jenny is incredibly commercial and pragmatic, and also very emotionally intelligent in the way she manages matters. If I need someone to get in front of my business, she has a very nice approach.
Jenny is a very shrewd strategic litigator.
Maria Chami is developing an impressive pensions dispute practice and is noted for her experience in handling professional negligence claims in a pensions context.
Maria is incredibly confident in terms of managing documents and understanding detail.
Maria is extremely detail orientated and provides thoughtful and commercially focused guidance.
Head of Pensions Litigation
Pensions Litigation
Head of Pensions Litigation
Pensions Litigation
Provided by Stephenson Harwood LLP
Philip Goodchild
Head of Department
Chris Edwards-Earl
View profile of Chris Edwards-EarlMaria Chami
View profile of Maria Chami
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