Michaela Berry

Michaela Berry is a Partner at Sackers (Sacker & Partners LLP), the UK's leading specialist pensions law firm, based in London. She has been recognised in the Corporate INTL Global Awards 2026 as Public Law Expert of the Year in England, an accolade that reflects her experience advising trustees, employers and providers on the public law and regulatory questions that shape occupational pension schemes.

A partner at the UK's leading pensions law firm

Sackers describes itself as the UK's leading specialist pensions law firm, working exclusively in pensions and its related areas for trustees, sponsoring employers, corporate entities and providers. The firm's practice spans risk transfer, investment, workplace and personal pensions, corporate activity, regulation and governance, and pensions litigation. From its office at 20 Gresham Street in the City of London, Sackers advises on many of the most significant matters in the UK pensions market. Michaela Berry practises as a partner within this specialist environment, where technical precision and a deep understanding of the regulatory landscape are essential.

Public law in the pensions context

Public law concerns the exercise of powers by public bodies and regulators, and the principles, such as fairness, rationality and proper process, that govern their decisions. In the pensions field, this dimension is ever present. Occupational pension schemes operate within a dense framework of statute and regulation, overseen by bodies including the Pensions Regulator, and questions frequently arise about how those powers are exercised, how guidance and codes of practice are interpreted, and how the interests of members and employers are balanced. Advising clients on regulation and governance therefore calls for a firm grasp of both the specialist pensions rules and the broader public law principles that sit behind them.

For trustees and employers, this expertise is highly practical. It informs how they respond to regulatory intervention, how they discharge their duties when making decisions that affect members, and how they manage the governance of increasingly complex schemes. A lawyer who is fluent in the regulatory and public law framework can help clients act with confidence, reduce the risk of challenge, and navigate the interaction between scheme rules, statutory obligations and regulatory expectations.

Areas of work at Sackers

• Regulation and governance for occupational pension schemes
• The powers and expectations of the Pensions Regulator
• Trustee duties, decision-making and scheme management
• Workplace and personal pensions
• The wider regulatory framework governing UK retirement provision

The UK pensions sector has undergone sustained change, from the evolution of scheme funding and governance requirements to reforms affecting how schemes are run and how members are protected. Trustees and sponsors must keep pace with regulatory developments while continuing to meet their day-to-day obligations. Specialist advice is invaluable in this setting, and firms that concentrate solely on pensions are well placed to combine detailed technical knowledge with an appreciation of how regulators approach their role.

The pace of reform in UK pensions shows no sign of slowing, and trustees and sponsoring employers increasingly look to their advisers not only to interpret current requirements but to anticipate how the regulatory landscape may develop. Judgement of this kind, informed by a close reading of how public bodies exercise their powers and how the courts have approached questions of fairness and process, allows clients to plan with greater confidence. Michaela Berry's work sits squarely in this space, supporting decision-makers who must reconcile their legal duties with the practical realities of running and funding pension arrangements over the long term.

Recognition and the Corporate INTL Global Awards 2026

The Corporate INTL Global Awards recognise leading advisers and firms across the world's legal and advisory markets, identified through the publication's research among clients and peers. Michaela Berry's recognition as Public Law Expert of the Year in England reflects her standing within a firm renowned for its specialist pensions work. For trustees, employers and providers seeking guidance on the regulatory and public law issues that define modern pension schemes, her experience at Sackers offers a trusted source of advice in one of the most technically demanding areas of English law.