Combine the largest generation of workers ever to approach retirement with a worldwide epidemic of austerity measures across both public and private sectors. The result is unprecedented pressure on pension, employee compensation and benefit plans, as well as those who sponsor and administer them. Ready to meet these challenges are the lawyers of the Blakes Pensions, Benefits & Executive Compensation group, renowned internationally as among the very best in the business.
Pension plan administrators across Canada are grappling with new laws and regulations governing tax and minimum standards. Our Canadian pension lawyers frequently review, interpret, draft and negotiate language for pension and benefit plans, executive compensation arrangements, retirement compensation arrangements, employee share ownership plans, deferred income arrangements, profit-sharing plans and many other types of agreements to ensure compliance with current and emerging governance standards.
Our clients also ask us to help develop pension plan governance protocols that meet legislative and regulatory requirements within their corporate structures. They engage us to design compensation arrangements in ways that balance their business objectives with tax, trust and securities law compliance. They also consult us for legal opinions on an extraordinary range of issues, including pension investments, surplus entitlement, “contribution holidays,” plan mergers, governance issues and fiduciary responsibilities.
We are proud to count among our clients many of the largest Canadian pension and benefit plans and funds, both public and private. In addition, we have been pleased to advise investment managers, trust companies, banks and insurance companies regarding investment products and services for pension, health and welfare funds. Even foreign businesses and their lawyers rely on us for our unsurpassed Canadian expertise.
Our group’s partners have served as both past and present chairs and members of the Financial Services Commission of Ontario and the Financial Services Tribunal. We constantly strive to further improve our enviable reputation in the pension law and benefits industry in Canada.