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Special situations for Corporate Finance services

Turning a business around with a defined benefit (DB) pension scheme is complex and requires up-to-date knowledge of an evolving regulatory landscape. This is critical with the increasing likelihood of regulatory intervention and the risk of personal criminal liability included in the Pensions Schemes Act 2021. 

We’re on top of regulatory change and deliver creative special situations solutions for companies to help them achieve the optimum outcome for all stakeholders. 

We assess options for managing and/or compromising pension scheme liabilities through a range of solutions, and proactively engage with all stakeholders, including regulators.  

Our experts understand how to mitigate covenant and ‘moral hazard’ risks associated with restructuring plans (and other ‘legislative tools’), particularly if a scheme may be negatively impacted. 

Corporate special situations advisory services

For companies with DB schemes that are under stress/distress, our advisory services include: 

  • Testing and challenging financial information to support corporate viability/solvency assessments and scheme affordability negotiations. 
  • Undertaking or reviewing insolvency contingency planning. 
  • Developing estimated outcome statements (EOS) and entity priority models (EPM) to establish estimated returns to creditors in the event of insolvency. 
  • Expert advice for companies and financial stakeholders undergoing restructuring. 
  • Negotiation support. 
  • Assessing the impact of reorganisation or restructuring on the pension scheme and its employer covenant, including mitigation required to repair detriment. 
  • ‘Moral hazard’ risk reviews on intervention impact by The Pensions Regulator. 
  • Expert support for stressed and distressed sales processes. 
  • Advising financial stakeholders after insolvency or after implementing a restructuring plan. 
  • Implementing regulated apportionment arrangements (RAAs) and company voluntary arrangements (CVAs). 
  • Acting as an expert witness or supporting litigation in regulatory and court proceedings 

Independent advice from a multidisciplinary team

  • We offer a pensions focused special solution service. 
  • As an independent specialist, we’re conflict-free and work alongside other experts to deliver the best results for our clients. 
  • Our multi-disciplinary team of lawyers, accountants, actuaries, corporate financiers and insolvency practitioners guarantees a holistic view of any situation. 
  • Pensions are all we do. We focus on our core strengths and don’t attempt to replicate the work of other advisors. 
  • Our senior team is highly experienced in covenant advisory, special situations, restructuring and insolvency engagements, including a range of stressed and distressed situations, from SMEs to high-profile, complex organisations. 
  • Our specialist DB scheme-focused restructuring team is embedded in an established pension covenant advisory firm. 

Our new 2023 CFO report

New world, new decisions

Our new report, New world, new decisions, reveals proprietary insights into key areas of interest to UK CFOs and senior executives on the challenges and opportunities for their Defined Benefit (DB) pension schemes. This comes at a time where improved funding positions and burgeoning pension surpluses has created a new set of dilemmas for corporates.