Ian is a partner in our Pensions practice based in our Birmingham office. His particular expertise covers a broad range of pensions law work. This includes the provision of documents, establishing new schemes, winding-up schemes, mergers, de-mergers, conversion of final salary to money purchase benefits, trustee training, independent trustee work and on-going pensions and trust law advice.

Ian is a member of the Association of Pension Lawyers. He is a regular speaker at seminars and conferences and has regularly been published in academic and professional journals.

Recent experience includes:

• Establishing a new scheme for the Trustees of the Land Rover Pension Scheme and negotiating a transfer of funds into it.
• Advising on a merger of four occupational pension schemes for a well-known international company.
• Acting as professional trustee to the pension schemes of the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, Wagon plc, Folkes Group, Ennstone Group, Misys plc and Takao Europe.
• Advising the trustees of the pension scheme of a FTSE 100 company on introducing a career average benefits structure into the pension scheme.
• Advising the subsidiary of an American public company by converting to a money purchase benefits structure from a final salary benefits structure.
• Advising the trustees of the pension scheme of a FTSE 100 company on the implications of the company restructuring its finances.
• Advising a large engineering company on the implications of TUPE and of the Beckman and Martin decision on the purchase of assets.
• Advising the trustees of the pension scheme of a large subsidiary company of an American parent on its insolvency and the implications for the pension scheme.

Publications:

• Various articles in legal journals.
• Ian regularly contributes to BBC radio in the Midlands on pensions related matters.

Quotes:

• 'Senior partner in the Birmingham department and a long-established member of the team, Ian Forrest maintains his sterling record in the region'. - Chambers & Partners 2009
• "Sensible and straight talking," Ian Forrest "gets right to the issues," remark clients, while peers commend him for being "good to work with whether on the same or opposite sides of the table." He handles a diverse workload covering every issue surrounding pensions and is known to "never sit on the fence." - Chambers & Partners Legal Directory 2008

Career:

• Career in Local Government
• Training contract, Hammonds 1987-1989
• Qualified, 1989
• Solicitor, Hammonds 1989-1995
• Partner, Hammonds LLP 1995 to date
• Head of Birmingham office 2004 to May 2010
• Head of Brussels office, May 2010 to date

Education:

• Loughborough University B.Sc (Hons) 1968-1971
• Birmingham Polytechnic (p-t) LL.B (Hons) 1982-1986
• Law Society Finals 1986-1987

Interesting facts:

• Member of the Association of Pension Lawyers
• Member of Birmingham Chamber of Commerce
• Member of Managing Partners' Forum
• Member of the British American Business Council in the Midlands
• Member of the Birmingham-China Business Forum
• Trustee of the Hammonds Charitable Trust
• Council member of the CBI Midlands Group

"Partner" refers to a member of Hammonds LLP or an employee or consultant with equivalent standing and qualification.