APLI Essay Competition Winners 2024
Council is delighted to announce the winners of this year’s essay competition: ‘There are many stakeholders involved in an occupational pension scheme (participating employers, active members, deferred members, pensioner members, spouses and/or children in receipt of benefits). As many defined benefit schemes approach maturity, some are in the fortunate position to have surplus assets. Such schemes may have broad powers on how to use such surplus assets on scheme wind up including augmenting some or all member benefits and/or returning surplus assets to the employers. What is the appropriate balancing act when Trustees are considering the competing interests of the main stakeholders’ respective claims to surplus assets in a pension scheme context? In considering this query, please discuss the purpose of a pension scheme and whether some stakeholders should be preferred over others. (80 MARKS)
Please also briefly discuss the treatment of defined benefit scheme surpluses in the United Kingdom with a particular focus on recent case law. (20 MARKS)”
• First place: Steffi Stafford Johnson, A&L Goodbody LLP
• Second place: Ciara Kelliher, William Fry LLP
Thank you to all who took part.
DISCLAIMER All views or opinions expressed in these essays are the author’s own in respect of the essay topic and do not represent the views or opinions of the APLI. The APLI have made the essays available for informational purposes only and the APLI does not make any representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy or applicability of the essays.