James Dean Joins Freeths to Lead Pensions Growth

Freeths, a leading national law firm, has appointed James Dean as a Partner in its Bristol office to spearhead the growth and development of its national pensions practice. Dean, a highly experienced pensions lawyer with over 20 years in the field, joins Freeths from Simmons and Simmons. His expertise includes pension scheme restructuring, M&A, regulatory compliance, and central government pensions. His notable past projects include advising on the allocation of a £300 million surplus in a multi-employer pension scheme and the implementation of a Crown guarantee for a £1.5 billion pension scheme. His appointment is part of Freeths' strategic growth, following the firm's recent accolade as Law Firm of the Year at the City AM Awards 2025. This expands the firm's Employment, Pensions, and Immigration team, which has seen a 43% growth over the past four years. Rena Magdani, the partner and national head of Employment, Pensions, and Immigration, highlights Dean's expertise as a significant asset to the team. Dean expressed his excitement to work with Freeths, particularly during a time of considerable change in the UK pensions industry.