Pensions and Employee Benefits

Healthcare plans, employee benefits schemes, supplementary pension arrangements, disability, incapacity and death cover, as well as end-of-career benefits, play a key role in attracting and retaining talent. Their effectiveness, however, depends on navigating a constantly evolving landscape of employment, social security, tax, insurance and collective bargaining rules. 

An incomplete governing document, incorrectly defined beneficiary categories or inconsistencies between employment documentation and insurance arrangements can lead to URSSAF reassessments, individual or collective disputes and significant long-term costs. 

We support clients throughout the lifecycle of their employee benefit programmes, including selecting the appropriate legal framework, drafting and updating governing documents, defining objective employee categories and opt-out provisions, ensuring compliance with responsible healthcare contract requirements, managing works council consultation processes, addressing the consequences of mergers and business transfers, and preparing for URSSAF audits. 

Our advice combines legal certainty with practical implementation, ensuring that HR and payroll teams can operate schemes efficiently while meeting business deadlines. 

We advise mutual insurers, provident institutions and insurance companies on the structuring, distribution and development of collective insurance solutions. 

Our services include the drafting and review of policies and regulations, governance arrangements, distribution models, contractual simplification and transparency, regulatory compliance, the continuation of employee benefits under the Evin Act and portability rules, as well as insurance portfolio transfers and business combination projects. 

Our practice combines expertise in social security and employee benefits law, employment law, tax law and insurance regulation. This multidisciplinary perspective allows us to anticipate the employment and tax consequences of strategic decisions, assess operational constraints and secure contractual documentation. 

Clients benefit from clear and practical advice, whether launching a new product, renegotiating an existing arrangement or managing a sensitive situation. 

We tailor our approach to the maturity of the arrangement and the level of risk involved. This may include targeted reviews of existing schemes, support for major transformation projects, assistance with collective bargaining processes, operational implementation or representation in the context of audits and disputes. 

From the outset, we identify priorities, assess risk exposure and determine available options so that legal, HR, finance and executive teams have a practical roadmap aligned with payroll requirements, employee relations obligations and business objectives. 

Our main areas of support:

• Audit and risk assessment: reviewing legal and collective bargaining frameworks, governing documents, insurance contracts, payroll practices and established customs to identify compliance gaps and priority actions; 
• Scheme design and development: advising on implementation methods, drafting unilateral decisions and collective agreements, defining beneficiaries, coverage levels, exemptions and funding arrangements; 
• Restructuring and strategic transactions: managing employee benefit and pension schemes in connection with mergers, acquisitions, disposals, transfers of employees and post-transaction harmonisation projects; 
• Employee relations and insurer management: supporting negotiations, assisting with employee representative consultation processes and securing contractual relationships with insurers; 
• Audits and disputes: assisting companies during URSSAF audits, managing disputes relating to employee benefits and representing clients before the competent courts and tribunals. 

In an environment where pension, employee benefits and healthcare arrangements directly affect compliance, workforce strategy and cost management, securing these programmes requires more than a purely technical interpretation of legal texts. 

Our team combines legal expertise, a thorough understanding of insurance mechanisms and practical knowledge of business operations to anticipate risks and deliver solutions that can be implemented effectively. This enables companies and insurance providers to make informed decisions, manage projects within controlled timelines and protect their interests effectively in the event of audits, investigations or disputes.