Francois' job is to help clients sort out their pensions dramas and to make sure they don't become pensions crises.
He is a Partner and Head of our Pensions group in London. Francois has over 20 years of experience in advising corporate sponsors and pension funds on UK and international pensions and benefits issues in relation to both defined benefit and defined contribution arrangements.
He is active in developing pensions law and policy in the UK and Europe.
Francois is praised by the legal directories:
- for “having an incredible fountain of knowledge in terms of pensions issues and approaching things in a can-do and imaginative way”
- for “expressing complex issues in an easy-to-understand way and getting his arguments across in a compelling manner"
- for his “detailed knowledge of the entire regulatory landscape"
Francois' experience includes advising pension funds and plan sponsors on:
- implementing de-risking strategies for legacy-defined benefit pension plans, including asset-backed, special-purpose funding structures
- complex funding, security and guarantee packages for defined benefit plans
- complying with Taskforce for Climate Related Financial Discloures obligations, and adopting net zero targets
- UK and EU governance requirements for defined contribution plans
- pensions-related litigation to Court of Appeal level
- appointing captive IFA panels to advise members
- My Money Matters – Who's Monitoring My Retirement Savings? February 2022
- How New Rules Have Sharpened the ESG Focus of Pension Schemes," September 2021
Contributor to The Times/Raconteur Pensions Supplement - Tolley's E-Pensions, Co-author
- Legal 500 Human Resources Lawyer of the Year 2019
- HR Hall of Fame Practitioner, Legal 500
- Ranked in Chambers UK 2019
- Member of Pensions and Lifetime Association's DC Committee
- Member of CBI Pensions Panel
- Member of PensionsEurope Future of Pensions Standing Committee
- Member of The Hundred Group Pensions Committee
- LLB (Hons) 1987
- Ph.D 1994