Sarah McCague

Experience

Sarah is a specialist in Irish pensions law, advising trustees, employers and other stakeholders across the public and private sectors on complex pensions, regulatory and governance matters.

She advises across the full lifecycle of pension arrangements from scheme establishment, day-to-day administration matters, regulatory compliance, governance matters, restructuring, liability management exercises and winding-up. Her experience includes advising on the practical implications of regulatory changes on Irish pension schemes including GDRP, DORA and IORP II and supports clients in their engagement with the Pensions Authority including through the Supervisory Review Process (SRP). She has particular experience advising on the broader pensions landscape including the establishment and approval of personal retirement savings accounts (PRSAs) and life assurance only master trusts. Sarah has extensive experience advising on the pensions aspects of corporate transactions and restructurings as well as contentious pensions matters including disputes through scheme internal dispute resolution procedures (IDRPs) and the Financial Services Pensions Ombudsman (FSPO) process.

Sarah also has specialist expertise in Irish charities law, advising charity trustees on regulatory, governance and tax matters, including applications for charitable status, mergers, fundraising and engagement with the Charities Regulatory Authority.

A past Chair of the Association of Pensions Lawyers in Ireland, Sarah is also active in a number of international and Irish pensions organisations including IPEBLA and the IAPF. She is a regular conference speaker and lectures on the Law Society's Pensions Law Diploma and the Law Society’s Certificate in Charity Trusteeship.

Key highlights include advising:

• Advising corporates and trustees in connection with the closure of defined benefit schemes to future accrual and cutting the link with final pensionable salary as well as on defined benefit scheme mergers and wind-up
• Advising on master trust regulatory and governance issues
• Advising on and negotiating investment management and related agreements in relation to scheme investments
• Advising employers and trustees on liability management exercises, including annuity buy-ins, closures to future accrual and enhanced transfer value exercises
• Advising on all aspects of IORP II including environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) requirements and on regulatory changes that impact on pension schemes including GDRP and DORA
• Advising employers on liability management exercises, including annuity buy-ins, closures to future accrual and enhanced transfer value exercises
• Advising on the pensions aspects of employment relationships including professional added years, augmentation of benefits and early retirement.
• Providing pensions law advice and support on many of Ireland largest corporate transactions.