Chris advises sponsors, trustees and insurers on a broad range of transactional, advisory and contentious pensions matters. He has particular experience in solving pensions issues on public and private M&A transactions and complex corporate restructurings, managing issues in relation to pension scheme funding deficits and pensions de-risking.
Highlights include:
- BBC Pension Scheme – advising the Trustee of the BBC Pension Scheme on a Part 8 claim brought by the BBC to determine the ability to make changes to future service benefits under Scheme provisions, including the appeal by the BBC to the Court of Appeal
- British Steel Pension Scheme – advising Tata Steel India and Tata Steel UK on the restructuring of the £13 billion BSPS, the biggest pension scheme restructuring in the UK
- DMGT – advising Daily Mail and General Trust Plc on the pensions aspects of the £3.1bn reorganisation of DMGT, comprising a recommended cash offer by RCL and a proposed distribution to shareholders
- Fortress – advising Oppidum Bidco Limited (Bidco), a company indirectly owned by funds managed or advised by affiliates of Fortress Investment Group, LLC, on its cash offer for Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC announced on 3 July 2021, and the package of measures to support the Morrisons Pension Schemes to buyout agreed in principle with the trustees
- Interserve – advising Interserve on various pensions and employment issues associated with recent restructuring exercises and disposals
- Legal & General – advising Legal & General Assurance Society Limited on a number of buy-in transactions
- Philips International – advising Philips on the de-risking of their UK pension fund in a deal which resulted in the largest full buy-out in the UK at the time of c.£3.5 billion
- Royal Mail - working with Royal Mail in developing, in collaboration with its unions, its proposed collective money purchase pension plan and the required new legislative framework
- Vodafone – advising Vodafone on the pensions aspects of its merger with Three
Chris is a member of the Legislative & Parliamentary sub-committee of the Association of Pension Lawyers. He is also a member of the Royal Society of Arts Collective Defined Contributions (CDC) Pensions Forum, which is raising awareness regarding the huge opportunity offered by CDC schemes.
Chris is recognised as an Up and Coming individual in Chambers UK Directory.
“Chris Sharpe is a pleasure to deal with. He is extremely responsive and competent, and the advice he gives is thoughtful and pragmatic” Legal 500 2023
“Chris is a technically very strong pensions lawyer with an excellent commercial understanding, and a focus on what matters for the client" Chambers 2024