Tom Barton joins DLA Piper ranks as new pensions partner

Global law firm DLA Piper has today welcomed Tom Barton to its Employment and Pensions practice as a partner. Tom joins after 20 years with Pinsent Masons, having spent 12 years as a partner, leading the Leeds-based pensions team and the firm’s defined contribution (DC) pensions workstream. Tom joins DLA Piper’s Leeds office.

Tom’s practice spans the pensions market, in particular DC workplace pension providers, insurers, master trusts, pension businesses, governance bodies and large employer-sponsored schemes. His work encompasses regulatory advice, product development, governance, disputes, pension scheme consolidation, investment and governance matters, as well as transactional work including M&A in the pensions and master trust market. He advises on arrangements as regulated by both FCA and The Pensions Regulator and has extensive experience supporting providers and schemes through significant regulatory change and market developments. Tom has acted for almost all of the major insurers active in the workplace and retail pensions market and has advised more than 15 master trusts on authorisation, supervision, consolidation, retirement propositions and scheme administration.

Pilar Menor Sanchez, partner and Global Co-Chair of DLA Piper’s Employment group, comments: “Tom joins us with decades of experience advising at the very top of the UK pensions market. He brings a wealth of knowledge and a broad skillset to the table and will be a significant asset in and outside of our pensions group, as we continue to service global clients across broad, multidisciplinary teams.”