Pensions & Benefits
Canada Guide 2025 : Nationwide - Canada
Band 2
Email address
[email protected]Contact number
+1 604 685 3456About
Provided by Lawson Lundell LLP
Lawson Lundell boasts Western Canada's leading Pensions and Employee Benefits Law Group. The group consists of a core of solicitors practising exclusively in the pensions and benefits law area and a litigation team with an unmatched level of experience conducting pension litigation and defending pensions class actions in the courts. When needed the group can call on other lawyers with relevant expertise in related areas such as tax, trust, fiduciary, investment and insurance matters affecting pensions and benefit plans.
Pensions and Employee Benefits Law is a specialized area of law focused on providing advice and solutions on issues arising out of different kinds of plans and programs that employers provide for their employees.
These include:
- Defined benefit registered pension plans
- Capital accumulation plans (including defined contribution registered pension plans, group RRSPs, and deferred profit sharing plans)
- Supplemental employee retirement plans (or “SERPs”) and retirement compensation arrangements (or “RCAs”)
- Health and welfare trusts
- Group benefits including life, disability and health and dental plans
- Employee incentive plans and bonus plans
- Executive compensation plans and change in control agreements
Our pensions and employee benefits lawyers are specialists in navigating the legal and regulatory hurdles encountered in establishing, governing, managing, communicating, litigating, merging and terminating pensions and employee benefit plans.
Chambers Review
Lawson Lundell is one of the dominant law firms for pensions advice in Western Canada, regularly providing services to clients across British Columbia, Alberta, the Northwest Territories and Yukon. The team receives accolades for its comprehensive pensions and benefits coverage, regularly handling matters such as pension plan restructuring and administration, as well as the creation, administration and review of plan documentation and contracts. Its impressive client roster includes an extensive range of entities from sectors such as healthcare, manufacturing, mining and education, while its expertise extends to both employer and union-sponsored arrangements.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
"Lawson Lundell have a very strong bench and are able to handle any issue we have come up with. It is a very well-rounded firm."
"Lawson Lundell are consistently on time and communicative."
"Our Boards of Trustees have confidence Lawson Lundell, they are experts in complex and sophisticated matters. Lawson Lundell has many experienced lawyers on their team."
"We feel confident about Lawson Lundell's expertise and knowledge base, particularly in complex areas. They have timely, informative communications that meets business needs."
"Lawson Lundell are thoughtful and thorough in their analysis and recommendations."
"Lawson Lundell have a very strong bench and are able to handle any issue we have come up with. It is a very well-rounded firm."
"Lawson Lundell are consistently on time and communicative."
"Our Boards of Trustees have confidence Lawson Lundell, they are experts in complex and sophisticated matters. Lawson Lundell has many experienced lawyers on their team."
"We feel confident about Lawson Lundell's expertise and knowledge base, particularly in complex areas. They have timely, informative communications that meets business needs."
"Lawson Lundell are thoughtful and thorough in their analysis and recommendations."
Notable Practitioners
Murray Campbell of Lawson Lundell is an esteemed practitioner based in Vancouver, who is seen to advise on various pensions and benefits disputes, as well as regulatory matters. He is especially well-regarded for his expertise in implementing and redesigning pension plans.
"Murray's knowledge and insight in the British Columbia pension environment is second to none. He has a deep intellectual understanding of the legal issues at play and how they may impact his clients."
"Murray is an expert in his field and is able to see beyond the simple legislation to generate ideas."
"Murray's knowledge of pension and benefits legislation and practical applications for our client is outstanding."
"Murray is very responsive and provides amazing counsel. He is also very good at bringing in members of his team to help with whatever issue we have."
"He is always available, always calm and always wise."
Kenneth Burns is a skilled Vancouver-based lawyer at Lawson Lundell, who provides counsel to pension and benefit plan sponsors on a variety of matters. He also has experience overseeing the merging of pension plans and provides regulatory pensions advice to clients across Western Canada and the Northwest Territories.
"Ken is very knowledgeable and responsive."
"Ken is an excellent legal advisor. I would give her 10/10."
Lisa Chamzuk of Lawson Lundell has acquired a significant reputation for pension governance and administration mandates. Based in Vancouver, she is well-versed in issues relating to multi-employer pension plans.
"Lisa is very knowledgeable and has a strong ability to connect and communicate complex issues to fiduciaries."
"Lisa has taught me many things as a trustee and communicates well with our Boards of Trustees."
"I appreciate the practical and timely advice and service."
"Lisa is very capable."
Megan Kaneen of Lawson Lundell is based in Vancouver and is increasingly well-regarded for her work assisting with the maintenance and governance of pension funds. She is also well-versed in pension regulatory matters.
"Megan provides excellent advice, always in a timely manner and was a key contributor to a recent transaction of ours that successfully concluded."
"Megan has provided advice on numerous issues at the right level of detail and sophistication, while being responsive and a pleasure to work with."
"We are very pleased with Megan's knowledge and diligence."
"Extremely attentive and knowledgeable."
"Megan is amazing. Proactive, knowledgeable, she understands our business. She helps get to the issues where decisions need to be made and goes above and beyond."
Meghan Popp of Lawson Lundell in Vancouver acts for boards of trustees and other administrators and sponsors of pension and benefit plans. She advises clients in the private and public sectors on the day-to-day administration of plans, as well as on larger projects, such as plan mergers.
"Meghan is a trusted advisor and gives practical advice."
"Meghan is responsive and gives thorough, thoughtful and practical advice."
"Meghan is very personable, easy to work with, very thorough and clients have been happy with the product delivered."
"Very happy with Meghan's work and expertise. She is very reliable and responsive."
Ranked Lawyers at
Lawson Lundell LLP
Nationwide - Canada
Members
Provided by Lawson Lundell LLP
Megan Kaneen
Meghan Popp
Sophia Ma