Samantha Brown
Sam has a market-leading pensions practice, providing strategic advice and support to corporates, trustees, insurers and providers.
Sam has a stellar reputation in the risk transfer space; she has acted on some of the UK's largest buy-in transactions, and advises insurers on compliance issues across their pensions books. She also advises on the pension aspects of corporate transactions, and on scheme funding, endgames and the use of surplus.
Sam co-heads the firm's pensions disputes practice, and has substantial experience of High Court litigation, Ombudsman proceedings and regulatory investigations. She acts for employers, trustees and consultants on contentious matters of major scale and sensitivity.
Sam is listed as a Leading Partner in the Pensions: non-contentious category in Legal 500 UK 2026.
Accolades
"Samantha Brown is a superstar lawyer. She can turn her hand to any pension-related matter. She is second to none in terms of legal knowledge, and has great commercial awareness and strategic judgement, always going the extra mile for her clients." Legal 500 UK 2026
"Exceptionally commercially sharp, an expert negotiator and fantastic in front of clients." Chambers UK 2026
"Samantha is incredibly bright and very, very proactive." Chambers UK 2026
"A top litigator with a great pensions mind. Always has an overview of what is happening in the market, where the big issues are going to appear, and works hard to ensure she has a range of solutions from the outset." Legal 500 UK 2026
Experience & capabilities
Selected matters
- Pension Insurance Corporation on many major risk transfer projects, including buy-ins for the schemes of Alliance Unichem, Baker Hughes, Cadbury and the London Stock Exchange, and the first all-risks transaction to cover future service liabilities
- the trustees of Next plc's 2013 Pension Plan, on a £510 million buy-in transaction and steps to wind up the Plan with all benefits secured in full
- EdF on the disposal of its UK networks business and the separation of its significant pension arrangements
- a major energy provider on funding and restructuring issues in relation to its £3 billion DB schemes
- global benefit consultants Marsh, on a £1.9 billion risk transfer transaction and strategic issues as to its £7 billion UK scheme
