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Sarah Franklin

Partner

Sarah Franklin joined Eversheds Sutherland as a partner in 2012 and has over 20 years’ experience advising trustees and scheme sponsors on all aspects of occupational pension schemes.

She specializes in advising corporate sponsors and trustees on a wide range of issues relevant to defined benefit plans, including deficit management strategies and innovative restructuring solutions.

Sarah is the lead pensions partner for many of the pension team’s key clients including the Veolia Pension Schemes, the Calor Gas Pension Scheme, the Affinity Water Pension Plan, the FDR Limited Pension Scheme, the RSM Pension Scheme, the Midland Independent Newspapers Pension Scheme,  the TNT Group Pension Scheme, the Midcounties Co-operative Pension Scheme and several university schemes.

She is known for her clear and pragmatic advice and approachable style.

Sarah has recently advised some of her trustee clients on issues including: covenant concerns and complex failure to agree valuation negotiations between the trustees and sponsor; the transfer of of defined contribution sections of hybrid schemes to a master trust: the buy out of a DB pension scheme; advising on a complex GMP equalisation and conversion project including pension increase exchange; advising in relation to a company share buyback potentially affecting covenant and advising on mitigation options for the trustees; a scheme merger; and advice to some higher education institutions on a reorganisation of pension liabilities across different defined benefit schemes.

Sarah is head of the firm’s specialist pensions education sector team which advises numerous higher and further education sector clients on a wide range of issues such as college mergers, risk reduction for university standalone schemes, USS membership, academy conversions and outsourcings from the public sector. 

Sarah's recent experience includes advising trustees and sponsors on:

  • covenant concerns and complex failure to agree valuation negotiations between the trustees and sponsor;
  • the transfer of of defined contribution sections of hybrid schemes to a master trust;
  • the buy out of several DB pension schemes;
  • complex GMP equalisation and conversion projects including pension increase exchange;
  •  a company share buyback potentially affecting covenant and advising on mitigation options for the trustees;
  • scheme mergers; 
  • reorganisation of pension liabilities across different defined benefit schemes in the higher education sector:
  • establishing group life and excepted group life assurance schemes;
  • scheme change and liability management projects.

 

She is a regular speaker at seminars and training events.

She is a founder member of the University SATs Forum (a specialist group for both sponsors and trustees of university self-administered trusts to consider issues in the sector) and is a regular speaker at external webinars focusing on pension issues facing the higher education sector.

 

Sarah is ranked Band One for the Midlands by Chambers and Partners and Legal 500 and is described as “excellent: very good with clients and very approachable”

Ranked in Chambers UK 2018, 2019

Member, Association of Pension Lawyers

Committee Member of West Midlands Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association

Legal Practice Course - College of Law Chester

LLB (Hons) - University of Birmingham

Sarah Franklin

Partner

Sarah Franklin

Partner

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