Kate Granville Smith Senior Associate

Kate joined Burges Salmon as a trainee solicitor in 2001 after graduating with a first class degree in law from Exeter University. Kate joined the firm’s pensions team two years later.

Specialising in advising both trustee and employer clients, Kate utilises her experience across a wide range of pension issues, including both routine matters (member queries and changes to the law) and specific projects (such as scheme amendments). In addition to this, Kate delivers trustee training to her clients and is a member of the Association of Pension Lawyers, holding a certificate in Pensions Law from Bristol University.

Kate is also the pension team’s expert in ESG related legal matters including the development of guidance and products to help our clients make sense of their ESG requirements. As part of this, Kate feeds into the firm’s wider ESG understanding and strategy.

• Advising a large PLC on the merger of its defined benefit and defined contribution pension schemes.
• Advising a trustee board of a £1 billion scheme regarding corporate restructuring issues. Including the negotiation of security and a flexible apportionment arrangement, as well as providing advice on the legal position of an overseas jurisdiction and negotiations with the Pensions Regulator. 
• Advising the trustees of a FTSE250 scheme regarding the closure to accrual of their defined benefit scheme.