UK – Law firms Pinsents and Masons say their planned merger will create one of the largest specialist pensions teams in the UK.

Partners at the two firms voted to merge their businesses last month, creating a top 15 UK law firm with a significant international presence. The merged firm will be known as Pinsent Masons.

Their combined pensions group will comprise 40 pensions lawyers and seven independent trustee advisers – which it says makes it “one of the largest specialist pensions teams throughout the UK”.

The Pinsents team recently acted for pensioners of the KPMG staff pension fund and the trustees of the Dexion scheme. Masons have advised on the public sector, the Private Finance Initiative, outsourcing and independent trustee advice.

"The Masons pensions team, led by Patrick Kennedy, is a highly respected national practice and the largest national team operating out of the north west,” said Chris Mullen, head of the national pensions group at Pinsents.

“Combining their experience with our own team in the North West, led by partner Stephen Scholefield, puts us in a very strong position both in the north and nationally.

“The Masons independent trusteeship service also fits very well with that of our own independent trustee, Pinsents Trustees Ltd."

The merger of the two firms is expected to be effective from early December and will create a practice with 150 million pounds in turnover.

The new firm will have approximately 240 partners, a total of 900 lawyers and total staff in excess of 1,500.

"Our goal is for Pinsent Masons to be the UK's leading sectoral law firm,” said Pinsents' senior partner Julian Tonks. “The combination of Pinsents' corporate strength and Masons' deep industry knowledge make this a compelling prospect."

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