Eleanor Daplyn

About

Eleanor has over 17 years’ pensions experience and is lead partner for many of Sackers’ largest clients.

Her practice is primarily acting for trustees of occupational pension schemes, including DB, DC and hybrid arrangements. She has broad experience across all issues affecting trustees and sponsors, including valuation negotiations and solutions, benefit changes and closure, bulk transfers and buy-ins. Specialisms include advising schemes with novel benefit structures (DC with DB underpin in various forms) and groups of the Electricity Supply Pension Scheme.

Eleanor also gives advice to pension providers and is part of the Sackers team that provides assistance to other law firms on the pensions aspects of corporate transactions.

Recent experience includes:

• advising trustees on whether and in what circumstances they can support a proposed pension increase exchange exercise
• providing advice to trustees asked to amend the scheme to provide for career average benefits for future service
• supporting trustees and providing advice in relation to a proposed asset-backed contribution structure as part of the funding package following a recent valuation
• completing the winding-up of a defined benefit pension scheme, including advising on options for GMP equalisation and overseeing the creation of individual insurance policies to secure benefits
• advising trustees of two schemes on the closure of the defined contribution section of their scheme and the bulk transfer of members to (in one case) another occupational scheme and (in the other case) deferred annuity policies with an insurer
• consolidating and updating schemes’ trust deed and rules, including in one case the creation of new and bespoke documentation for a new benefit section.

Memberships and Qualifications

Membership of professional bodies:
Association of Pension Lawyers (Full Member)
Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (South London Group)

Career history

Qualified: 2003, England & Wales

Pensions experience since: 2002

Joined Sackers: 2003, Associate: 2008

Joined partnership/LLP: 2011

Employers: Clifford Chance LLP (2001-2003)

Academic history

University/College:

University of Edinburgh (1995-1999)
Nottingham Law School (1999-2001)

Degree: MA Hons. English Literature and French
Postgraduate Diploma in Law
Legal Practice Course

Further Information

Testimonials:

• Eleanor is listed as a Recommended Lawyer in the Legal 500, 2017
• “Partner who advises a wide range of trustee and employer clients on all aspects of pensions law.” – Legal 500, 2017

Extracurricular interests and activities:

I love playing and listening to music of all types, and also enjoy walking, beer festivals and archery (carefully combined!).