Liz
Graham

Liz is an experienced pensions lawyer, widely regarded as a ‘safe pair of hands’ who is both knowledgeable and practical.

Covering all aspects of pensions law and practice, Liz’s clients are often the trustees or the sponsoring employer of a defined benefit pension scheme, typically ranging in size from around £50m of scheme assets to over £1bn.

Getting to the heart of a client’s legal problem

Liz finds becoming part of the client’s day to day team of advisers one of the most rewarding parts of her job. She feels similarly about being part of the successful and friendly team at Walker Morris.

Pensions law is a technical and increasingly complex discipline, but Liz enjoys getting to the heart of a client’s particular legal problem, and helping them to move forward. “Keeping on top of the ever-changing legislative and regulatory landscape is one of the more challenging aspects of the role, but it goes without saying it is absolutely vital to the role”.

Strong client focus

Liz takes a pragmatic approach to her client work, aiming to distil highly complex technical issues into practical and easily digestible legal advice and this extends into her working style – where she says, “I enjoy working as part of a team on client work, delegating and supporting others within the Walker Morris team and the firm generally”.

A supportive, collaborative place to work

Having joined the firm during lockdown, Liz says her experience of the firm – even from the distance of home working – has shown clear alignment with her own values: a strong client focus, and a supportive, collaborative and inclusive workplace.

Liz was the first in her family to attend university and has worked hard to build her career in law.  State school educated and with no family links to the legal profession, Liz is keen to promote social mobility and diversity in the legal profession.

“No day is ever the same”

“My career as a lawyer in the pensions industry has provided me with a huge variety of work and has brought me into contact with a wide range of clients. Each project brings its own unique challenges and no day is ever the same”.  In the ‘small world’ of pensions law, relationship building is important, and, Liz says, “it pays to get on with people, to collaborate and support others”.

Liz is “highly regarded” according to Legal 500 and is a Fellow of the Pensions Management Institute (PMI). She has passed the PMI’s Award in Pension Trusteeship, she is a full member of the Association of Pension Lawyers and is the current Chair of the Yorkshire regional group of the Pension and Lifetime Savings Association.

Liz plays an active role in the firm’s Women in Leadership group – providing help and support for other women wanting to progress through the ranks of the firm to partnership.