Michael Hayles Partner

Michael is a partner in the firm's pensions team.

He specialises in advising trustees of occupational pension schemes on the full range of pensions law issues, advising companies and other organisations on their pension arrangements and managing pension liabilities; and advising public sector organisations and companies on public sector pension schemes and outsourcing arrangements.

Michael is also a specialist in pension liability buy-in and buy-out projects, and pension projects in the context of insolvency and restructuring.

Michael is a full member of the Association of Pension Lawyers and sits on the Association of Pension Lawyers Public Sector Sub-committee.

• Advising the trustees of an occupational pension scheme in the context of a takeover of the sponsoring employer and funding negotiation and securing guarantees to support the scheme.
• Acting for the administering authorities of the Local Government Pension Scheme in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in the context of council restructuring, funding discussions and ethical investment issues.
• Acting for a UK insurer on a major bulk annuity contract in the context of a pensioner buy-in contract.
• Acting for Government departments on the restructuring of a Government agency and implementing new pension arrangements for transferring civil servants and new recruits, and in the context of pension arrangements for staff who transferred to independent trusts following central government intervention.
• Acting for the scheme manager of an unfunded public service pension scheme governed by the Public Service Pensions Act 2013.
• Acting on the merger of multiple occupational pension schemes and negotiating merger terms.