Skip to content

Peter Fahy

Partner
Head of Eversheds Sutherland Irish Pensions Group

Peter is Head of Eversheds Sutherland's Irish Pensions Group, and he advises on all aspects of pension and employee benefits law and practice.

He is a former Chair of the Irish Association of Pension Funds. Peter is ranked as a Band 1 lawyer in the Chambers Europe Guide.   

His team was awarded Pensions Law Firm of the Year at the European Pensions Irish Awards in 2012, 2013 and 2015, and is part of the European team, which was awarded European Pensions Law Firm of the Year in 2020.

Peter is known as a leading expert on pensions law and speaks regularly on pensions law both to academic institutions and at industry conferences. He comments regularly on pensions issues for television and radio.

Peter's experience includes:

  • Advising AIB plc on the pension aspects of its flotation and on a number of market-leading transactions and innovations concerning its defined benefit and defined contribution pension arrangements
  • Advising on a number of major pension de-risking transactions, including a €400 million collateralized insurance transaction and a €300 million captive annuity transaction, and several cross-border transactions
  • Advising on the establishment of an innovative cross-border pension scheme with a multi-employer structure
  • Advising on the transfer of several Irish defined benefit schemes to a Belgian IORPs;
  • Advising an employer on a €150 million enhanced transfer value exercise, one of the largest undertaken in Ireland
  • Advising a pension scheme on the transfer of a €300 million investment portfolio to a new fiduciary provider
  • Advising on the transfer into the State of the funded pension schemes of the National Tourism Development Authority
  • Acted on the landmark Omega Pharma case defining the scope of sponsor pension obligations in Ireland
  • Successfully represented the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman on a number of High Court appeals of his pensions determinations
  • Advising on the wind up of the INM plc defined benefit schemes
  • Acting for the defendant disabled pension scheme beneficiaries in the landmark rectification case of Boliden Tara Mines v Cosgrove and Others
  • Advising the pension trustees on the £3.28 billion sale of Standard Life Aberdeen’s insurance business to Phoenix Group
  • Liability of Pension Advisers: The Irish and Common Law Position (Commercial Law Practitioner)
  • IORPs II Directive: The Irish Implications (Industrial Relations News)
  • To Incorporate or not to Incorporate (Pensions Ireland)
  • Pensions Update – Summer 2021
  • VAT and Employees’ Pension Fund
  • SFDR Introduces New Sustainability Disclosure Obligations for Irish Pension Schemes
  • Pensions Update – Autumn / Winter 2020
  • Recording – Legal Implications for Pension Schemes – Ireland
  • A Lucky Escape for the Irish Government: Pensions-Sicherungs-Verein VVaG –v- Gunther Bauer
  • Useful Pre Christmas Brexit Clarifications for Irish Pension Schemes
  • Eversheds Sutherland advise FEXCO and the Trustees of the Goodbody Employee Benefit Trust on the proposed sale of Goodbody Stockbrokers to Allied Irish Banks plc
  • Eversheds Sutherland wins 'European Pensions Law Firm of the Year 2020' at the European Pensions Awards
  • Webinar - Covid-19: an international pensions view
  • Coronavirus – Weekly Pensions Clinic for Clients - Ireland
  • Coronavirus - The implications for pensions: the Wage Subsidy Scheme and suspension of contributions - Ireland
  • Coronavirus - Legal implications for pension schemes - Ireland
  • Pensions solutions for policy makers and society
  • Peter Fahy on 'The Pat Kenny Show' discussing the proposed increase to the State pension age
  • Guidance Update: New rights for mobile workers under Irish pension schemes
  • Progress Update: A New Automatic Enrolment System
  • New rights for mobile workers under Irish pension schemes
  • A New Automatic Enrolment System
  • Pensions Roadmap
  • The Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman Act 2017
  • GDPR for Trustees – what do you need to know?
  • Eversheds Sutherland and Mercer deliver ground breaking captive annuity deal
  • IORPs II
  • Run off arrangements for UK insurance contracts confirmed
  • Data transfers following a ‘No-Deal’ Brexit – implications for Irish pension schemes
  • International Retirement Ages: Spotlight on Ireland (VIDEO) (Peter Fahy & Charmian Johnson)

Pensions Law Firm of the Year, 2012, 2013, 2015 - European Pensions Irish Awards

European Pensions Law Firm of the Year 2020 - European Pensions Awards.

Chambers Europe - Band 1

Legal 500 -  Hall of Fame

Peter Fahy is "a very talented and committed pensions lawyer." - Chambers Europe

"His knowledge of pension law is second to none" - Chambers Europe

"His foresight and anticipation of possible future issues is outstanding" - Chambers Europe

He is "very practical; he has a holistic view of matters and finds solutions."

"He is recognised in the market as an expert in pensions issues and regularly assists high-profile international and domestic clients with compliance issues, litigation and the pensions aspects of transactions." - Chambers Europe

"He provides a practical approach which understands the business perspective and the subtleties needed for complex and sensitive situations" - Chambers Europe

Peter Fahy "is extremely responsive, knowledgeable and customer-focused. He provides practical advice that we can use in terms of translating the law into specific actions for the customer. He is very good at seeing solutions and advising on the best one" - Chambers Europe

"He is clearly occupying an intellectual space that not many others do. He is the brightest in the room, brings people with less legal knowledge up to speed and can help the client to understand" - Chambers Europe

"he was brilliant and very practical. While many lawyers get caught up in semantics, he comes up with clear solutions."  - Chambers Europe

‘Peter Fahy’s ability to foresee and anticipate issues is superb. Your legal advisor being able to anticipate an issue and know exactly how to address it is invaluable – it saves time, money and stress. Peter’s knowledge of pensions law is second to none.’ - Legal 500

‘Peter Fahy is a technically excellent lawyer who is very responsive and navigates his clients skilfully through the maelstrom of laws ancient and modern and the operational and practical implications of shares and benefits schemes. As head of the practice, Peter has done a great job of attracting and retaining excellent colleagues at partner and associate level.’ - Legal 500

 

 

‘Peter Fahy is an outstanding pensions and employee benefit schemes lawyer combining meticulous drafting with a superb grasp of the policy issues and drivers behind the working of and developments in this sector. Peter is very responsive to and supportive of his clients needs, both current and on a forward-looking basis. He has the gravitas to get the message across clearly to non-lawyer clients in a very user-friendly manner and on a pragmatic basis.’ - Legal 500

‘Peter Fahy has proven to be very knowledgeable, diligent and proactive in looking out for the best interest of our company. (He is) especially good at providing prompt responses.’ - Legal 500

Peter Fahy has "unparalleled experience" - Legal 500

Ranked in Chambers Europe 2020, 2021

  • Director, Bord na Móna ESOP Trustee, TSB ESOP Trustee
  • Trustee, ACC Bank ESOP
  • Member, Law Society of Ireland
  • Member, Association of Compliance Officers in Ireland
  • Member, DC Steering Committee of Pensions Europe
  • Former Chairman, Irish Association of Pension Funds (IAPF)
  • Former Council Member, Association of Pension Lawyers in Ireland
  • Year of qualification, 1992
  • Law Society of Ireland (1989 – 1992), Solicitor
  • University College Dublin (1985 – 1988)

 

 

Peter Fahy

Partner

Head of Eversheds Sutherland Irish Pensions Group

Peter Fahy

Partner

Head of Eversheds Sutherland Irish Pensions Group

Email