Pension and benefit plans

We work with corporations and their officers and directors, pension funds, boards of trustees, pension plan committees, investment managers and other pension service providers. Our pensions and benefits professionals work closely with other practice groups to provide complete solutions, such as employment and labour law, corporate legal services, tax, insolvency and litigation.

Registered pension plan funds are one of the largest pools of capital in Canada. They have a collective value of approximately $1 trillion. Investing and administering registered pension plans has become increasingly complex due to their rising value, the growth of federal and provincial regulations and an increasingly litigious environment.

We have extensive pension and benefits law expertise in Quebec, Ontario and other common law jurisdictions. Clients benefit from advice, support in matters with pension and tax regulators, and litigation services. We provide all services in both of Canada’s official languages, in both the civil and common law systems.

We also have expertise in establishing, drafting and administering employee stock option and ownership plans, restricted share unit plans and other types of employment incentive, executive compensation and benefit plans.

We handle

• business insolvency and restructuring transactions
• communication and disclosure of information
• defence of pension and benefit-related actions, including class proceedings
• drafting and review of plan documentation and employee communications
• fiduciary liability
• governance and administration of pension plans
• mergers and acquisitions, including pension plan mergers
• pension fund investment
• relations with government authorities
• supplemental retirement arrangements
• surplus/deficit related issues
• partial wind-ups
• taxation of pension and other deferred income plans
• trust issues
• use of pension surpluses in ongoing and terminated pension plans

Top tier

Chambers Global 2010
Employment, Labour and Pensions

PLC Which lawyer? 2010
Labour and employee benefits