Ottawa
Email: lisa.mills@bmkplaw.com
Direct:613-369-5477 |
416-922-9865
Mobile:613-407-0624
Main:416-368-6800
Year of Call: Ontario, 1997
Lisa has over 20 years of experience providing advice to pension plan sponsors and administrators regarding pension plan design, regulatory compliance and all other aspects of administering defined benefit and defined contribution pension plans.
Lisa appears as counsel on pension and benefit matters including in class proceedings and in the arbitration context and regularly advises private and public sector employers on the pension and benefits aspects of corporate transactions and insolvencies. Lisa has assisted numerous employers on pension plan consolidations, the establishment of new plans and updated governance frameworks and on the legal aspects of defined benefit plan de-risking. Lisa also provides advice on the income tax aspects of pension, benefits and other employment matters.
Lisa completed the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants In-Depth Tax Course and has significant experience in resolving the income tax elements of pension and benefit matters.
Lisa co-authored the Public Pensions title of the Canadian Encyclopedic Digest from 2012 – 2015 and now leverages her in-depth knowledge of the Canada Pension Plan to advise employers regarding CPP enhancements and their impact on employer-sponsored pension plan design.
Lisa designed and taught the Pensions and the Law course at Queen’s University from 2009 – 2013.
In 2018, advised the employer sponsor of a public sector jointly sponsored pension plan on the creation of a new benefit option under the plan for the not-for-profit sector.
Acted as pension counsel to a large steel manufacturing company in its 2014-2017 Companies Creditors’ Arrangement Act proceeding including advising on the pension standards and income tax aspects of an alternative funding and pension governance regime that was key to the successful restructuring.
In 2015-16, negotiated the transition of a specialized retirement income plan and investment structure to a new decumulation platform.
Implemented a number of conversions from defined benefit to defined contribution pension plans for both provincially and federally regulated employers.
Lisa Mills regularly advises on pension buy-in and buy-out annuity contract provisions and other de-risking initiatives including a multi-tranche annuity transaction.