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Ele Lovering

Partner
Head of Pensions in Manchester

Ele's key focus is on helping pension scheme sponsors and trustees to define and then achieve their strategic objectives in the most efficient way.

Ele is the Senior Office Partner of Eversheds Sutherland's Manchester office and co-leads the Gender Network in Manchester. She is a champion for flexible working. A partner in our Employment, Labor and Pensions Group, she leads the 16 strong Manchester pensions team and is the Managing Director of our Independent Trustee company.

A highly experienced pensions lawyer, she advises on the full range of pensions services, including effective day-to-day running pension schemes and good governance; risk, debt and liability management; pensions insurance and de-risking; pensions restructures, and pensions issues on corporate restructurings (including in distress scenarios); scheme funding solutions and scheme mergers.

Ele works with clients across several sectors and has solid experience in the energy, utilities and industrials sectors. Key clients include Electricity North West, another large North West-based utilities company, and pension schemes sponsored by the Co-operative Group, the MAN UK Group, the INEOS Group, the Manchester Airport Group, the Homes and Communities Agency and the English Football League.

Ele is an experienced negotiator and focuses on collaboration between all stakeholders. She is adept at navigating the pensions regulatory framework, ensuring the optimal outcome is achieved. 

Ele is well-known in the North West pensions market and beyond and regularly speaks at industry events. She is a regular speaker at Pensions Briefing seminars.

Ele works with clients across a number of sectors and has solid experience in the energy, utilities and industrials sectors. Key clients include Electricity North West, another large North West based utilities company, and pension schemes sponsored by the Co-operative Group, the MAN UK Group, the INEOS Group, the Manchester Airport Group, the Homes and Communities Agency and the English Football League.

Chambers Directory regards her as a leading individual in the field of pensions. She is noted for her "desire to find resolutions rather than score points" and her "ability to articulate the law and ensure a clarity of understanding."

She enjoys spending time with her three children and long walks with the family dog in her spare time.

Ele's most recent experience includes :

  • advising the trustees of the Reebok Scheme on the implications of the sale of Reebok out of the Adidas group
  • advising the English Football League on scheme closure
  • advising the Outokumpu group on achieving full security of member benefits as part of a project to ensure the scheme sponsor is sale ready
  • advising Electricity North West Limited on its GMP conversion project
  • advising various sponsors on the new pensions criminal sanctions and navigating the enhanced moral hazard and notifiable events regimes
  • the alternatives to the payment of employer debt, including the negotiation of apportionment arrangements and contingent security arrangements
  • advice on the pensions implications of multi-jurisdictional transactions
  • Ranked in the highest tier of leading individuals in Chambers & Partners
  • Ranked in the highest tier of leading individuals in Legal 500
  • Ranked as an Acritas / Thomson Reuters "star" lawyer by clients
  • Head of the Band 1 ranked "Pensions team in the North West" in both Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500
  • Top Ranked in Chambers UK 2019
  • Ranked in Chambers UK 2018
  • The Legal 500 UK Leading Individual 2015
  • Senior Office Partner for the Eversheds-Sutherland Manchester office
  • Co-leader of the Eversheds-Sutherland Gender Network in Manchester
  • Flexible Working Champion for Eversheds-Sutherland
  • Former Secretary of the North Western branch of Association of Pension Lawyers
  • Former Chair of local group of the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association
  • Member of the Pro Manchester Skills committee
  • Diploma in Legal Practice, College of Law, Guildford, 1995 to 1996
  • LLB (Hons) Law, 1992 to 1995
  • Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association - Trustee accreditation
Ele Lovering

Partner

Head of Pensions in Manchester

Ele Lovering

Partner

Head of Pensions in Manchester

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