International law firm Eversheds has appointed highly esteemed pensions lawyer François Barker as a partner and Birmingham Head of Pensions.
François joins the firm from Squire Sanders Hammonds’ where he was a partner and the Practice Group Leader for the pensions team. From 1st May 2012, François will take over the role of Birmingham Head of pensions from partner Ingrid Everson. Ingrid will remain an integral part of the pensions team, helping the succession and continuing her excellent work alongside François in building the profile of the group.
François is highly regarded in the market and is top ranked in his field by the legal directories. These describe François variously as "one of the best pensions lawyers in the country," "Pragmatic, plugged in and always anticipating change," "a first rate communicator" and a "market leader."
François advises both corporate sponsors and trustee boards, in relation to all aspects of pensions law in the UK. In addition to ongoing advisory work and dealing with the pensions issues arising on transactional activity, he specialises in plan restructuring exercises, and developing creative solutions to assist with funding shortfalls. He has acted on a number of asset backed funding projects, designed to remedy defined benefit shortfalls without using cash.
François is one of only two lawyers who advise the Confederation of British Industry's pensions panel on matters of pensions law and policy. He delivered keynote addresses at the CBI's Pensions Conferences in 2009, 2010 and 2011. He is also a member of the policy making committee of The National Association of Pension Funds.
Anthony Arter, Eversheds’ London Senior Partner and Head of Pensions commented: “François is a first class lawyer and a real industry leader. Eversheds offers one of the most comprehensive pensions law services in Europe and François is a natural fit for us. We are very excited to welcome him to the firm, his appointment will be a great asset in complementing the level of expertise for which we are known. ”
Partner Ingrid Everson commented: “I am very much looking forward to François joining the team. I believe his appointment will help us to build on our existing strengths, cementing our position as a market leading practice.”