Philip Bennett

Philip Bennett is a Professor in Practice at Durham Law School, Durham University, and a leading expert in pensions law. He holds dual roles as a legal academic and practitioner, focusing on pension scheme governance, fiduciary duties, and cross-border regulatory challenges. Prior to his academic appointment, he spent over 30 years as a partner in Slaughter and May’s Pensions Group, advising on major pension restructuring cases. His research bridges legal theory and practice, addressing issues like ESG integration in pension investments, climate change impacts on fiduciary duties, and EU pension directives interpretation.

Education: Graduate of Durham University. Bennett has authored/co-authored 16 chapters in the 2024 Elgar Commentary on EU Pensions Law, co-edited with Hans van Meerten. His work appears in journals like Trust Law International and European Review of Private Law. He frequently engages with regulatory bodies, including the UK Pensions Regulator, providing expert input on funding codes, climate governance, and ESG compliance.

• Teaching: Created the UK’s first undergraduate Pensions Law module and leads Durham’s Employability Course.
• Professional Roles: Past Chair of the International Association of Pension & Employee Benefits Lawyers, Vice-chair of IPEBLA 2022 Conference.
• Key Areas: Pension scheme mergers, deficit management, EU insolvency law (Bauer case analysis), and trustee fiduciary obligations in ESG contexts.

Bennett’s recent work emphasizes the intersection of climate change and pension fund governance, including papers on green investments’ legal implications and fiduciary duties in sustainability decision-making. He has advised on high-profile cases involving pension fund trustees’ liability for leveraged liability-driven investment (LDI) strategies.