Catherine Austin

Pensions and Incentives

Catherine Austin graduated from Dublin City University (MA) in 1993 and qualified in 2004. She is currently a Consultant at McCann FitzGerald LLP, which she joined in 2019. Catherine has extensive experience advising employers and trustees on the establishment and operation of occupational pension schemes including advising on: entitlements to pension scheme membership; member nominated trustee elections; dispute resolution; Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman investigations; Pensions Authority audits and investigations; negotiation of funding agreements and funding proposals and administration queries relating to pension adjustment orders, death in service benefits and dependants’ entitlements. Her practice also includes advising on the pensions aspects of mergers and acquisitions, pension scheme restructurings, the negotiation of scheme funding agreements, including novel contingent asset use, and funding proposals, including benefit reduction proposals to the Pensions Authority, and scheme wind-ups. Catherine has particular expertise in the negotiation of investment management agreements and agreements governing relationships with service providers including the GDPR related aspects of such agreements. She advises public sector and private sector clients on the potential impact of proposed pension policy and legislative changes.