Home / People / Mark Grant

Mark Grant

Consultant

Portrait ofMark Grant

Mark Grant

Consultant

Contact
CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP
Cannon Place
78 Cannon Street
London
EC4N 6AF
United Kingdom
Languages English

Mark Grant is a consultant in the CMS Pensions team. He joined the firm as a trainee in 1990 and has specialised in pensions law since qualifying in 1992. He became a partner in 1999 and was head of the UK Pensions Team for 7 years to May 2023.

Mark is the author of The Pensions Ombudsman: Powers, Procedures and Decisions (Sweet & Maxwell). He was a member of the APL's Pensions Litigation Committee for 10 years and is now on the APL’s Main Committee. He chairs the Pensions Ombudsman Liaison Group.

He was assistant editor of the Occupational Pensions Law Reports and co-editor of the Journal of the International Pensions and Employee Benefits Lawyers Association (IPEBLA) for several years and an IPEBLA Steering Committee Member. 

more less

“an outstanding litigator with superb judgement and vast knowledge of the sector”

Chambers

“a stellar reputation…a standout practitioner”

Chambers

“a first-class lawyer who can make things happen”

Chambers

“recommended for his responsiveness and ability to give straightforward and well-balanced advice”

Chambers

“sharp incisive mind”

Chambers

“one of the top pensions litigators in the market”

Chambers

“he has a fountain of ideas to offer when trying to resolve contentious pensions matters”

Chambers

“Mark is described as ‘outstanding’ and as ‘highly experienced, innovative and client-friendly’”

Legal 500

“knows pensions law backwards”

Legal 500

“fizzes with ideas and is excellent to work with”

Legal 500

“he’s very experienced, imaginative, practical and commercial”

Legal 500

“unrivalled in any matter involving black-letter pensions legal knowledge and litigation strategy”

Legal 500

“an outstanding litigator with superb judgement and vast knowledge of the sector”

Chambers

“A ‘great pensions lawyer’”

Chambers

“a stellar reputation…a standout practitioner”

Chambers

“a first-class lawyer who can make things happen”

Chambers

“recommended for his responsiveness and ability to give straightforward and well-balanced advice”

Chambers

“sharp incisive mind”

Chambers

“one of the top pensions litigators in the market”

Chambers

“he has a fountain of ideas to offer when trying to resolve contentious pensions matters”

Chambers

“Mark is described as ‘outstanding’ and as ‘highly experienced, innovative and client-friendly’”

Legal 500

“knows pensions law backwards”

Legal 500

“fizzes with ideas and is excellent to work with”

Legal 500

“he’s very experienced, imaginative, practical and commercial”

Legal 500

“unrivalled in any matter involving black-letter pensions legal knowledge and litigation strategy”

Legal 500

Relevant experience

  • A wide variety of clients on all aspects of pensions law (contentious and non-contentious) and his clients include the trustees of the pension schemes of Heineken, Weetabix, Taylor Wimpey Plc and Northrop Grumman.
  • The trustees of Monarch Airlines pension scheme when entering into a Regulated Apportionment Arrangement to facilitate a rescue of the business.
  • Numerous court cases concerning pensions issues including:
    • Coloroll (1993) European Court of Justice and High Court – sex equality issues – for trustees
    • Ferranti Pension Scheme (1999) High Court – disputed pension entitlements – for trustees
    • Stone v Pensions Ombudsman (2000) High Court  – alleged investment duty breaches – for trustee
    • Moores (Wallisdown) v Pensions Ombudsman (2001) High Court – conversion of scheme from DB to DC – for scheme administrator
    • Britannic Asset Management (2002) Court of Appeal and High Court – Pensions Ombudsman’s jurisdiction – for Britannic
    • Petrochem pension scheme (2005) High Court – compromise of a deficit claim – for trustees
    • Merchant Navy Officers Pension Fund (2005) High Court – trustee’s unilateral amendment power and scope to pursue employers for deficit – for around 30 employers
    • Royal Mail Pensions Trustees v Gosling (2007) High Court – part-timer’s pension rights – for trustees
    • BNP Paribas scheme (2008) High Court – rectification of pension increase rule – for scheme pensioners
    • Pilots National Pension Fund (2010) – trustee’s unilateral amendment power, deficit legislation–for scheme pensioners.
more less

Memberships & Roles

  • Main Committee member, Association of Pension Lawyers (APL)
  • Chair of Pensions Ombudsman Liaison Group
  • Member and past Steering Committee member, International Pensions and Employee Benefit Lawyers Association (IPEBLA)
more less

Publications

  • Contributor to the Pensions Law Handbook (16th Edition), Bloomsbury Professional.
  • Contributor to the Pensions Law Handbook (15th Edition), Bloomsbury Professional.
more less

Education

  • 1990 - Solicitors finals, University of Northumbria, Newcastle Upon Tyne
  • 1989 – Law Degree, Hertford College, Oxford University, Oxford
more less

Expertise

Feed

09/10/2023
CMS launches 16th edition of the Pensions Law Handbook
CMS is delighted to announce the launch of the 16th edition of the Pensions Law Handbook, the definitive guide to pensions law and practice in the UK. Written by the CMS pensions team, it is an essential...
Publication
03/02/2023
Trustee Knowledge Update – November 2022 - January 2023
Trustees of occupational pension schemes have a statutory duty to ensure that they have an adequate knowledge and understanding of the legal issues relevant to their scheme.  They must also ensure that...
Law-Now Pensions
26/01/2023
Pensions Ombudsman Update - January 2023
Welcome to the latest regular Pensions Ombudsman Update from the CMS Pensions Team. The Pensions Ombudsman resolves many cases every year which are not only important for the parties concerned, but can...
Law-Now Pensions
08/11/2022
Trustee Knowledge Update – August-October 2022
Trustees of occupational pension schemes have a statutory duty to ensure that they have an adequate knowledge and understanding of the legal issues relevant to their scheme. They must also ensure that...
Law-Now Pensions
02/08/2022
Trustee Knowledge update
Trustees of occupational pension schemes have a statutory duty to ensure that they have an adequate knowledge and understanding of the legal issues relevant to their scheme. They must also ensure that...
Law-Now Pensions
26/07/2022
Pensions Ombudsman Update - July 2022
Welcome to the latest regular Pensions Ombudsman Update from the CMS Pensions Team.The Pensions Ombudsman resolves many cases every year which are not only important for the parties concerned, but can...
Law-Now Pensions
08/07/2022
CMS named European Pensions Law Firm of the Year for second year
International law firm CMS has been named “European Pensions Law Firm of the Year” at the European Pensions Awards 2022. This is the second consecutive year that CMS has been awarded this prestigious...
Publication
06/07/2022
Transfer conditions: Updated guidance on risk-based approach for trustees
Following concerns raised both directly and in the press, the DWP and TPR have issued a joint statement (and TPR has amended its guidance) on the application of the transfer conditions regulations which...
Law-Now Pensions
10/05/2022
Trustee Knowledge Update - February-April 2022
Trustees of occupational pension schemes have a statutory duty to ensure that they have an adequate knowledge and understanding of the legal issues relevant to their scheme. They must also ensure that...
Law-Now Pensions
03/05/2022
Trustee Knowledge Update - February-April 2022
Trustees of occupational pension schemes have a statutory duty to ensure that they have an adequate knowledge and understanding of the legal issues relevant to their scheme. They must also ensure that...
Law-Now Pensions
01/02/2022
Trustee Knowledge Update - November 2021 - January 2022
Trustees of occupational pension schemes have a statutory duty to ensure that they have an adequate knowledge and understanding of the legal issues relevant to their scheme. They must also ensure that...
Law-Now Pensions
17/01/2022
Pensions Ombudsman Update - January 2022
Welcome to the latest regular Pensions Ombudsman Update from the CMS Pensions Team.The Pensions Ombudsman resolves many cases every year which are not only important for the parties concerned, but can...
Law-Now Pensions
Load more articles