Michael is a Partner in the Pensions team with particular expertise in the pensions aspects of public and private M&A and pensions issues within the energy sector.
Michael has a wide interest in all areas of occupational pensions law with a focus on advising both corporate and trustee clients on large scale benefit change exercises and complex transactional work.
Michael has particular experience of pensions in the Energy Sector, having advised clients such as E.ON, EDF Energy, Chevron and Iberdrola, as well as Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investment issues for pension schemes and corporate sponsors.
Michael is a full member of both the Association of Pension Lawyers and the Society of Pension Professionals (SPP) and regularly speaks at industry events and conferences. Michael is also a member of the SPP’s Legislation Committee and ESG Committee.
Michael is recognised as a Next Generation Partner in the Pensions: non-contentious category in Legal 500 UK (2025).
Accolades
"Michael Aherne is an outstanding advisor. He is deeply knowledgeable, pragmatic, and very articulate. He has strong inter-personal skills which mean that he presents very well to senior business people." Legal 500 UK 2025
Background
Durham University, BA (Hons) History first class, MA History with distinction
Nottingham Law School, Graduate Diploma in Law
BPP University (London), Legal Practice Course
Experience & expertise
Selected matters
- G4S in relation to the pension aspects of the recommended takeover offer from Allied Universal for £3.8 billion and its successful defence of GardaWorld’s unsolicited takeover offer
- Chevron on the sale of Chevron North Sea Limited to Ithaca Energy Limited for $2 billion
- The Trustees of the TTL Chiltern Group Pension Scheme in relation to the £620m takeover of Exova Group by Element Materials Technology
- British American Tobacco plc on various strategic matters including its merger with Reynolds American Inc., the American tobacco company, for US$47 billion
- The Trustees of the Marathon Service (G.B.) Limited Pension and Life Assurance Scheme in relation to the sale of Marathon Oil’s UK business to RockRose Energy and the subsequent purchase of a £610m buy-in policy with Rothesay Life
- Time Inc. on the sale of Time Inc. (UK) Limited to Epiris, a private equity company
- EDF Energy on its innovative benefit change exercise affecting around 15,000 employees in the UK
- G4S on its successful industry 'test case' concerning the Employer Debt Regulations in G4S Plc v G4S Trustees Ltd
- IBM United Kingdom Holdings Limited on its successful appeal of the High Court decision in IBM v Dalgleish
Sectors
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