International law firm Simmons & Simmons has expanded its pensions offering with the appointment of James Dean as a partner in its Bristol office.
James, pictured, who has joined this week from Bristol-headquartered national firm TLT, specialises in pension scheme investments, corporate restructurings/mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and public sector pensions. 
His clients include sponsoring employers, trustees and providers and public sector bodies.
James’ arrival expands the services Simmons & Simmons offers from Bristol, which opened in 2012 with 12 fee earners and five business services staff. It now has 55 fee earners and 99 other staff.
The office’s original ‘pillar’ practices of projects, real estate, banking and dispute resolution have grown to include funds, capital markets, employment, corporate, tax, ICT, insurance capabilities and now pensions.
Simmons & Simmons’ pensions offering ranges from multi-jurisdictional corporate transactions, on-going advice to pensions clients – 10 of which have assets well over £1bn – as well as more niche areas such as establishing and operating qualifying recognised overseas pension schemes in a number of jurisdictions and advising overseas asset managers in relation to their offering to UK pension schemes.
The team has a particularly strong presence among financial institutions, advising some of the global economy’s best-known institutions, as well as acting for some of the world’s largest companies and their pension schemes.
Simmons & Simmons head of pensions Danny Tsang said: “I am extremely excited with the arrival of James. He is highly regarded as a pensions lawyer by clients and professional advisers alike and is a fantastic addition for us as we continue to expand our UK pensions offering.”
James Dean, who has also worked for Bristol firms Osborne Clarke and Burges Salmon, added: “I am delighted to be joining Simmons & Simmons’ thriving office in Bristol and the pensions team at such an exciting stage in its development. I look forward to contributing to the successful development of the practice and undertaking work for high-calibre clients as part of a truly integrated international pensions practice.”
The role of head of Simmons & Simmons’ Bristol office has this month been taken on by Mahrie Webb, a partner specialising in investment funds and financial services regulatory work.
The firm employs more than 250 partners and 1,300 staff in 22 offices across Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
