LAWYER PROFILE

Neil Smith

UK 2026

CMS

Ranked in 1 practice area

Pensions Litigation

UK-wide

18 years ranked

About

Provided by CMS

UK

Practice Areas

Neil Smith is a partner in the Pensions team.

He has extensive experience in dealing with all types of pensions issues. His practice encompasses both contentious and non-contentious issues.

On the contentious side he acts for leading actuarial and benefit consultants in pensions professional negligence actions.

He has also acted in a number of the most significant Part 8 pension cases in recent years, including MNRPF and Foster Wheeler.

Neil has significant experience of Pension Ombudsman determinations.

On the non-contentious side, he advises both trustee and corporate clients in relation to benefit restructures, the pensions aspects of mergers and acquisitions, regulatory issues, employer covenant issues, insolvency issues.

Neil is a full member of the Association of Pension Lawyers and is on the Pensions Litigation Committee of the Association of Pensions Lawyers. He is a regular speaker and has chaired conferences for CLT, a specialist provider of training for the legal profession, as well as for the Association of Pension Lawyers.

Neil is named as a leading individual in the pensions (and pensions litigation) field in both the Chambers Guide and Legal 500.

Professional Memberships

Pensions Litigation Committee, Association of Pensions Lawyers

Member, Association of Pensions Lawyers

Publications

Contributor to the Pensions Law Handbook (16th Edition), Bloomsbury Professional.

Contributor to the Pensions Law Handbook (15th Edition), Bloomsbury Professional.

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

Chambers Guide to the Legal Profession

Pensions Litigation - UK-wide

Band 2

Individual Editorial

Neil Smith has extensive experience in a broad range of matters, including Part 8 claims and professional negligence actions. He also advises clients on disputes relating to benefits changes and scheme closures.

Learn more about this team View ranking table

Strengths

Provided by Chambers

Neil is technically very able and understands what I, as the client want to achieve, almost without me having to tell him. He is very intuitive and thoughtful.
Pensions LitigationChambers Guide to the Legal Profession
Neil is very experienced and gives strong leadership but in a calm and measured way.
Pensions LitigationChambers Guide to the Legal Profession
He's enjoyable to work with and he makes what could be stressful situations much more manageable for clients feeling the pressure.
Pensions LitigationChambers Guide to the Legal Profession