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Kate Granville Smith

Director

About

Kate joined the firm as a trainee solicitor in 2001, before joining the firm’s Pensions and Lifetime Savings team two years later.

Specialising in advising both trustee and employer clients, Kate utilises her experience across a wide range of pension issues, including both routine matters (member queries and changes to the law) and specific projects (such as scheme amendments). She also delivers trustee training to her clients and is a member of the Association of Pension Lawyers, holding a certificate in Pensions Law from Bristol University.

Kate is also the pension team’s expert in ESG related legal matters, feeding into the firm’s wider ESG understanding and strategy. This includes developing guidance and products to help our clients make sense of their ESG requirements.

She developed the ESG Pension Schemes Tool, which was highly commended at The Lawyer Awards 2023, and has been recognised as a leading ESG pensions lawyer by Financier Worldwide. She regularly presents on ESG topics to clients and peers.

Experience

Large plc: Advising on the merger of its defined benefit and defined contribution pension schemes.
Trustee board: Advising a trustee board of a £1 billion scheme regarding corporate restructuring issues, including the negotiation of security and a flexible apportionment arrangement.
Trustee of FTSE250 scheme: Advising on the closure of a FTSE250 scheme to accrual their defined benefit scheme.
Large plc: advising on ESG issues, including advice regarding duties and review of reporting documents.