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Keith Webster

Partner

Portrait ofKeith Webster

Keith Webster

Partner

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

Keith is a partner in the Pensions team. He advises trustees and employers running large occupational pension schemes on all areas of pensions related law, including litigation. He has particular expertise in investment and de-risking, including insurance buy-ins, consolidation and surplus solutions. Keith also regularly advises pension providers on their pension products, particularly master trusts and group personal pensions arrangements.  

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"Keith Webster of CMS has a reputation for his excellent technical abilities, with one commentator describing him as an ‘extremely talented and clever individual’."

Chambers & Partners

Leading Individual – Pensions

Legal 500, 2015

"Keith Webster of CMS has a reputation for his excellent technical abilities, with one commentator describing him as an ‘extremely talented and clever individual’."

Chambers & Partners

Leading Individual – Pensions

Legal 500, 2015

Relevant experience

  • Trustee clients range from a GBP 40m scheme to a number of the largest private sector schemes in the UK. Trustee advice includes:
    • Advising on a large tranched buy-in for a multi-billion pound scheme.
    • Setting up a reservoir trust to hold company contributions to help manage the risk of trapped surplus.
    • Carrying out residual risk due diligence for a scheme targeting buy-out to help assess what risks remain.
    • Advice on options for managing defined contribution benefits which have a defined benefit underpin.
  • Advice for employers includes:
    • Setting up a co-investment vehicle between trustees and the employer to help manage the risk of trapped surplus.
    • Acting in Court proceedings relating to the potentially invalid execution of scheme documentation.
    • Advising on use of a surety bond to support scheme funding.
  • Advice for pension providers includes:
    • Supporting a leading DC Master Trust on day to day matters, including negotiating terms for bulk transfers into the Master Trust.
    • Acting for insurers on buy-in transactions, including residual risk cover.
    • Advising a provider on the structure of a potential collective defined contribution scheme.
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Memberships & Roles

  • Keith is a fellow of the Pensions Management Institute and sits on its Lifelong Learning and Regulation Committees.  He is also a founding member of the RSA CDC Forum and a member of the British Venture Capital Association Technical Expert Group on pension scheme investment.
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Publications

  • Contributor to the Pensions Law Handbook (16th Edition), Bloomsbury Professional.
  • ‘RPI reform is not just and equitable’, Professional Pensions.
  • NAPF Guide to Investment Management Agreements ABI/NAPF Good Practice Guide to Bulk Insured Annuities.
  • Contributor to the Pensions Law Handbook (15th Edition), Bloomsbury Professional.
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Lectures list

  • 2016 - PMI Annual Conference: Responsibilities of Parties
  • 2016 - TISA Seminar: Legal pitfalls of the new retirement income space
  • 2016 - Association of Consulting Actuaries Annual Pensions Conference: Legal Update
  • 2015 - NAPF: Pensions and VAT
  • 2014 - Institute and Faculty of Actuaries annual conference: The Scheme Actuary as data controller
  • 2013 - LexisNexis: GMP Equalisation 
  • 2012 - APL Annual Conference: Asset backed funding structures
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Education

  • 1995 - LPC, College of Law
  • 1994 - MA, St Johns College, Cambridge University
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Expertise

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