Employment, pensions and incentives

RPC's Employment, Pensions and Incentives Group works closely with in-house lawyers and HR teams, providing day-to-day advice and support and handling their employment claims. We also deal with both contentious and non-contentious pensions and employee benefit work, acting for employers with occupational pension and other employee benefit schemes - many with substantial memberships - as well as for trustees and employee benefit consultants. We are experienced in handling professional indemnity claims relating to all aspects of pensions and employee benefits. We have a broad-based practice and advise clients from a wide range of sectors, with particular expertise in insurance, financial services and retail. As well as advising on specific matters or transactions, we offer support by way of bespoke training and in-house seminars.

Our focus is on building long-lasting relationships. We will work with your HR managers and senior managers to find practical solutions to problems, help manage and resolve disputes and deliver best practice. We work closely with you and are accessible, responsive and commercial. We deliver what we promise, on time and with no fuss. We understand that urgent advice is frequently required, and we are able to work to tight deadlines to help you achieve your objectives in the necessary timeframe.

We aim to become an intrinsic part of your HR team, being available at all times to give ad hoc advice when required or for ongoing and strategic support on complex or contentious employment claims.

Our areas of expertise include:

• Contractual issues
• Policies and procedures
• Drafting employment contracts and handbooks
• Management of internal grievance and disciplinary processes
• Dismissals
• Redundancies including collective redundancies
• Discrimination
• Infringement of restrictive covenants
• TUPE advice in relation to mergers and acquisitions
• Outsourcings
• Pensions
• Employee benefits
• Reorganisations
• Team moves
• FSA and other compliance matters
• Tax

Selected directory listings

• "Impressive outfit" - Chambers UK 2013
• "‘Expert’ and ‘commercial’ team" - The Legal 500, 2012 edition
• "Reliable, pragmatic and understands the internal perspective of each client" - Chambers UK 2012
• "Reynolds Porter Chamberlain provides clients with an excellent service. The team 'knows its clients' businesses inside-out and works terrifically hard.' It garners particular praise for identifying potential problems and heading them off early" - Chambers UK 2011
• "Appreciated for its ‘quality and value for money’" - The Legal 500, 2010 edition
• "Cath Thorpe leads the team at Reynolds Porter Chamberlain LLP, which has 'great industry knowledge'" - The Legal 500, 2009 edition
• "This employment group 'always puts itself in the client's shoes and comes up with succinct advice and workable solutions' " - Chambers UK 2009
• "Clients say the advice given is 'detailed, considered but most importantly practical'." - The Legal 500, 2007 edition
• "Cath Thorpe and her team are praised for their speed of response" - The Legal 500, 2007 edition

For more information about our Employment, Pensions & Benefits practice please contact Cath Thorpe (cath.thorpe@rpc.co.uk) or Charles Suchett-Kaye (charles.suchett-kaye@rpc.co.uk). To read our Employment publications, click here. To read our Pensions publications, click here.