WMPF Legal Adviser

Contract summary

Industry

• Legal services - 79100000

Location of contract

West Midlands

Value of contract

£240,000

Procurement reference

PP18078

Published date

3 December 2018

Closing date

27 July 2018

Contract start date

16 October 2018

Contract end date

15 October 2021

Contract type

Service contract

Procedure type

Call-off from a framework agreement

Contract is suitable for SMEs?

No

Contract is suitable for VCSEs?

No

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Description

West Midlands Pension Fund and West Midlands Integrated Transport Authority Service require a legal adviser. The provider will be required to provide Legal services to the Fund as set out in the framework tender documents, with particular reference, but not limited to: - Employer admissions, reorganisations, cessations, payment plans and other risk mitigation strategies, including protecting pension fund and pension fund members interests in respect of organisational change, outsourcing and restructuring contracts, including TUPE, 'Fair Deal' and COSOP. - Complex LGPS regulations and member communications to ensure they are both legally accurate to protect the funds from any liability or reliance risk and user-friendly for fund members to read and understand. - The exercise of pension discretions including on making death grants and the establishment of trust arrangements for juveniles or incapacitated beneficiaries. - Complex early pension release transfers and pension liberation schemes/fraud. - Member complaints about their pension benefits, including drafting responses on Stage 1 and Stage 2 IDRP and Pension Ombudsman cases, and advising funds on future prevention and mitigation measures. - Implications of recent Appeal, Supreme and High Court and other case law and Pension Ombudsman's decisions. - Pension's knowledge and understanding requirements for Pension Committees/Boards, providing training at Committee/ Panels/Sub-Group/Boards/in-house staff as required, and induction training for new appointees. - Pensions Committees/Panels/Boards/Sub-Groups on internal pension fund governance matters (including compliance obligations, effective risk management and decision-making, sub-delegations, minimising conflicts of interests) and the new governance structures to be implemented by the Public Service Pensions Act 2013. - Advising Pensions Committee and Board Chairmen, members, and pension fund management staff on all aspect of public and pension fund law, constitutional matters, governance and primary fiduciary duties toward the pension fund and the financial interests of fund members Fiduciary responsibilities, liabilities and indemnities for Committee/Panel/Board members, Councillors, and fund members in their capacity as members of Pensions Committees/Panels/Boards. - Pension funding obligations and fund deficit recovery and repayment plans from LGPS employers - Advising on trust law where relevant to any LGPS matters. - The impact of the machinery of government changes and government pension policies affecting LGPS funds and scheme employers, including the review of national consultation responses. - Advising on third party benefit administration and service level agreements, pension bulk transfer agreements, Admitted Body and Transferee Admission Agreements, financial security bonds, guarantees, and Secretary of State Applications. - Obligations for LGPS funds which derive from employers' HR policies and practices (or otherwise) e.g. Human

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More information

Additional text

Further Competition (Legal2018) under the National LGPS Legal Framework Agreement (NCCT 40518) Lot 4

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Award information

Awarded date

2 October 2018

Contract start date

16 October 2018

Contract end date

15 October 2021

Total value of contract

£60,000

This contract was awarded to 1 supplier.

Eversheds Sutherland

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About the buyer

Contact name

Jessica Prince

Address

Civic Centre,St Peters Square
WOLVERHAMPTON
WV11RL
England

Telephone

01902555065

Email

jessica.prince@wolverhampton.gov.uk