Home | Our People

Michael Hayles

Partner

About

Michael’s practice covers pensions work for trustees, employers and public sector bodies and is highly experienced across each area. He leads the Public Sector Pensions practice and is a recognised leader in this area.

He specialises in complex public sector pension arrangements, and other pensions project work including de-risking transactions. He acts for trustees and sponsors of occupational pension schemes (defined benefit, defined contribution and hybrid arrangements) and public sector organisations on their public service pension schemes (funded and unfunded) and including advice on the Local Government Pension Scheme, the Civil Service Pension Scheme and industry wide arrangements.

Michael is qualified to practise law in England, Wales and Scotland and is a member of the International Pension and Employee Benefits Lawyers Association. He also sits on the Association of Pension Lawyers Public Sector Sub-committee and the Society of Pension Professionals Public sector committee and regularly contributes to consultation responses, webinars and seminars in the industry.

Experience

LGPS asset pooling: Advising the Wales Pension Partnership on its establishment and the pensions law and governance arrangements for the pool.
Gallaher Limited: Advising the company on the merger of its two defined benefit pension schemes and the subsequent c£1.7 billion full buy-in transaction with Standard Life.
National Highways: Advising on the creation of National Highways and the pension arrangements for both c3,000 transferring civil servants and new recruits.
NILGOSC: Advising on the restructuring of the pension liabilities within Northern Ireland’s local government pension scheme following the changes to the council structure.
Rathbones: Advising the trustees of the Rathbones pension scheme on a full buy in transaction with Canada Life.
FirstGroup: Advising on de-risking within the Local Government Pension Scheme, participation in the Railways Pension Scheme, and on FirstGroup’s own occupational pension schemes.