Oliver Topping

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Associate director

About

Oliver is a specialist pensions lawyer and advises employers and trustees on all aspects of pensions law, including scheme mergers and closures, funding arrangements and drafting and updating scheme documents.

He also has experience in a broad range of defined contribution issues, including advising on bulk transfers to DC master trusts, DC investment and security of scheme assets, preparing the chair’s annual governance statement and managing scheme wind-ups. Oliver is on the Sackers team for two DC master trust clients and his recent advice includes the designation of default funds, the structure and terms of bulk transfers-in, and ongoing compliance with law and guidance specifically applying to DC master trusts.

As a member of the firm’s data protection unit, Oliver has extensive expertise in advising trustees on data protection issues including data sharing arrangements, data subject complaints and time-critical data breaches. Oliver also has an interest in cyber-security and has spoken at industry events on data issues affecting trustees.

Oliver also regularly advises employers and trustees on commercial contracts with third-party providers, including recently advising a large employer on a new SIPP provider contract, and advising trustees on the outsourcing of pensions administration services.

Other recent experience includes:

advising an employer on the sectionalisation of its DB scheme
working on risk-transfer projects including preparing and reviewing benefit specifications and buy-in contracts
advising widely on DB to DC member pension transfer requests
advising a DC master trust trustee on transfers-in from other schemes
advising on the preparatory stages of GMP equalisation and conversion, with a particular interest in GMP data issues
advising a trustee on a potential age discrimination claim linked to the scheme’s benefit structure
reviewing unregistered group life documentation.