Wragge & Co appointed to advise trustees of £600 million Steria pension schemes

Wragge & Co LLP's Pensions team has started 2010 with a client win. It has been appointed sole legal adviser to the trustees of the £200 million Xansa Pension Plan, one of the defined benefit plans of global IT services provider, Steria. The team has also been re-appointed to advise the trustees of the Steria Retirement Plan, Steria Management Plan and Steria Electricity Supply Pension Scheme. All four schemes have a total combined value of £600 million.

Partner Jason Coates and director Jane Kola will lead the team, assisted by associate Jennifer Lewis and solicitor Kimberley Handley. They will work closely with chairman of the trustees, David Woods, and Steria's legal director, Alan Whitfield. The team will advise on the full range of pensions legal issues.

Jane Kola said: "Over the years, we have developed a strong relationship with Steria and the trustees of its pension schemes, understanding Steria's business and how it operates. We tailor our advice to suit the trustees' needs in the context of Steria's business. This emphasis on long-term relationships and providing clear and commercially-focused advice is striking the right chord with clients."

David Woods said: "We have been reviewing our professional advisers across all of the schemes with a view to getting a uniform approach. I am delighted to see the appointment of Wragge & Co to the role of legal advisers and look forward to this continuing strong and supportive relationship."

With more than 19,000 employees across the world, Steria provides clients with a complete package of IT business services. In 2008 the Pensions team advised the trustees of the Steria Plans on the pensions aspects of the integration of Steria and the IT outsourcing company Xansa, which Steria acquired in 2007.

One of the largest top-tier pensions practices in the UK, Wragge & Co's six-partner Pensions team advises employer, trustees and international clients on schemes of all sizes. The 39-strong team provides creative and commercial advice on both contentious and non-contentious matters. In the past 12 months it has been appointed to advise the trustee of the billion pound Thales UK Pension Scheme as well as the trustee of the £1 billion G4S Pension Scheme.