Squire Patton Boggs has announced the appointment of Gemma Hanley, who joins as a partner in the firm’s Pensions Practice. Ms. Hanley was previously head of Pensions at Eversheds Sutherland in Leeds.
The move marks a return to Squire Patton Boggs for Ms. Hanley, who previously spent almost 10 years at the firm. She has a particular focus on advising trustee and corporate clients on UK defined benefit pension plans. Ms. Hanley also provides specialist pensions support on corporate transactions and employment projects. She has significant experience in the energy, utilities and transportation sectors.
Matthew Giles, head of the Pensions Practice, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Gemma back to our team. We’ve kept in touch over the years, and many of our colleagues have either worked alongside or across the table from Gemma and we know just how impressive a lawyer she is.
“Gemma arrives at a time of strong growth for our practice, with our lawyers involved in leading edge pensions developments and key mandates for clients. She will be an excellent and seamless addition to our team.”
“A familiar face to many of us in Leeds, we are thrilled that Gemma is rejoining the firm,” commented Prew Lumley, managing partner of the Leeds office. “Gemma is widely known as one of the market-leading lawyers in this space and her arrival will further strengthen our Pensions team and enhance our support to clients across the region and the rest of the UK.”
Ms. Hanley added: “Squire Patton Boggs has a long-established reputation for its pensions expertise and when the opportunity arose to rejoin my former colleagues, it was a straightforward decision to make.”
Squire Patton Boggs won two “Pensions Law Firm of the Year” awards in 2025. The firm advises in relation to more than 300 pension plans with over £400 billion of assets.
Ms. Hanley’s hire is part of the continued growth of the firm’s Leeds office. She follows the appointment of Deborah Polden, who joined in September to head the Leeds Litigation Practice.
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