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Craig Looker

Legal Director
Leeds
About

Craig is a senior UK pensions lawyer with over twelve years’ experience of advising companies and pension scheme trustees.

Craig provides commercial and pragmatic advice, building strong relationships to help clients to achieve their goals and cut through the often complex world of pensions law.

Craig advises on the UK pensions aspects of large-scale corporate transactions and pensions restructuring projects and also has experience of guiding pension trustees through engagement with the Pensions Regulator. He has acted as lead adviser to a number of defined benefit pension schemes, ranging in value from under GBP10m to over GBP400m.

Craig has particular experience in advising clients on issues relating to equalisation of retirement ages, section 75 debts and pension taxation issues.

Areas of FocusEmployment
Professional QualificationsSolicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales

EXPERIENCE

  • Advising on the UK pensions aspects of a multi-million pound worldwide joint venture, including strategy for liaising with the pension trustees.
  • Advising a US buyer on the UK defined benefit pensions aspects of a USD1.2bn acquisition of a European Group.
  • Pensions advice for a Swiss buyer on an acquisition creating a European Group with revenue of over EUR1.3bn.
  • Supporting the trustees of a GBP300m pension scheme through a full governance review following a Pensions Regulator intervention on a valuation.
  • Advising trustees on a proposed deferral of contributions by a participating employer in a multi-employer scheme.
  • Advising trustees on a transfer to a defined benefit master trust.
  • Advising trustees on a disposal of one of the scheme’s employers, including a flexible apportionment arrangement and advice around mitigation.
  • Advising a company on setting up a new section in the Railways Pension Scheme following the awarding of a new contract.
  • Detailed advice to trustees on the steps needed in practice to resolve the equalisation of normal retirement ages of male and female members.
Languages
  • French
Education
  • University of Oxford. MA (Oxon) in Law (First Class)
  • Université Panthéon-Assas, Paris. Diploma in French Law (Mention Très Bien)
  • College of Law, York. Law Practice Course (Distinction)

Awards

  • Chambers and Partners: “Star Associate”. Described as a “commercially astute” pension specialist.
  • Legal 500: “Rising Star”. Described as “an excellent, technical lawyer” with an established reputation across the breadth of defined benefit scheme governance.

Memberships And Affiliations

  • Law Society
  • Association of Pension Lawyers
  • Secretary to the North East Association of Pension Lawyers
  • School Governor

Connect

Phone

0113 369 2164
(Work, Leeds)
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