Employment: Pensions
Europe Guide 2024 : Ireland
Band 3
Email address
[email protected]Contact number
+353 1 232 2000About
Provided by Matheson LLP
Our Employment Pensions and Benefits Group was established more than ten years ago in recognition of the increasing complexity and development of the law in the employment, equality and pensions areas, and the demands from clients for specialist advice. We provide legal advice on all aspects of the employment relationship, including pension schemes and employee benefits. We advise on all Irish and European legislation relating to or affecting the employment relationship and pensions/benefits entitlements and our employments and pensions practice has developed into one of the leading such groups in any law firm in Ireland.
We advise on pensions law from a consultative and compliance point of view, and also advise on contentious legal issues. We have considerable experience in the establishment of occupational pension schemes, both defined contribution and defined benefit and are involved in the provision of all necessary trust documentation. We also deal with legal issues arising from an employer and trustee perspective. We have been engaged in developing a significant number of innovative share schemes for clients. We have extensive experience in relation to Revenue approved employee share ownership plans (ESOPs) and have established a number of ESOPs for State or former State companies.
We work closely with the firm's Corporate and Commercial Group and have advised on a number of the leading merger and acquisition transactions in recent years.
Chambers Review
Matheson has an impressive employment practice which frequently assists large multinational companies in the financial and technology sectors. The team is proficient in redundancy and transfer mandates, in addition to M&A-related employment matters. The law firm is also experienced in the handling of complex contentious matters concerning employment relationships and dismissals, regularly defending employers before the Irish High Court. Matheson comes particularly recommended for cross-border and international work, with experience advising large US multinationals and global law firms on Irish employment law. The law firm also maintains a respectable pensions practice advising on IORP II compliance and scheme transfers.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
"The standard and quality of Matheson's lawyers is consistently strong. Their advice is not just legal but also includes a rounded commercial view linked to our operating markets."
"Matheson is a very impressive law firm. They show great leadership and always provide clear, actionable work products."
"We take a lot of complex and unique questions in the field of employment law to Matheson, and each time we are met with a very thorough and thoughtful response which enables us to assess the risks of each employment decision we make appropriately."
"The standard and quality of Matheson's lawyers is consistently strong. Their advice is not just legal but also includes a rounded commercial view linked to our operating markets."
"Matheson is a very impressive law firm. They show great leadership and always provide clear, actionable work products."
"We take a lot of complex and unique questions in the field of employment law to Matheson, and each time we are met with a very thorough and thoughtful response which enables us to assess the risks of each employment decision we make appropriately."
Notable Practitioners
Bryan Dunne is a leading presence in the field of Irish employment law. He routinely advises on the employment aspects of large-scale cross-border transactions, including the application of TUPE and regulatory issues. He also handles executive terminations and contentious issues including disciplinary matters and contested dismissals.
"Bryan Dunne is fantastic: very knowledgeable and very responsive."
"Bryan is a strong lawyer with solid commercial awareness."
Geraldine Carr is skilled at handling collective redundancy processes, post-M&A employee integration matters, allegations of misconduct, protected disclosure and remuneration disputes.
"Geraldine is fantastic - she is super knowledgeable and responsive, and has a practical approach."
"Geraldine is extremely prompt to respond and very pleasant to work with."
Lorcan Keenan advises on defined benefit scheme wind-ups and terminations, in addition to assisting clients with the pensions implications of cross-border corporate transactions. He also provides expertise on mergers of schemes, multi-jurisdictional schemes and the implementation of directives such as IORP II. He joined Matheson from Eversheds in June 2023.
"Lorcan Keenan is very attentive to detail and has a very good manner with clients and trustees. He is good at explaining arcane and complex matters in easy language to clients."
"Lorcan has a strong understanding of our commercial requirements and is responsive in providing detailed and pragmatic advice."
Russell Rochford has experience in collective redundancies, contested dismissals and matters relating to TUPE. He also assists with due diligence and other employment-related aspects of corporate transactions.
"Russell is excellent and always provides us with an excellent service."
"Russell excels in managing ambiguous queries and always considers alternative advice and suggestions to support the organisation better."
Ranked Lawyers at
Matheson LLP
Ireland