Ian Devlin
Partner
Ian is a Partner and Head of Pensions in William Fry’s Employment & Benefits team.
- [email protected]
- VCard
- Dublin - Head Office

Ian advises employers and pension scheme trustees on all areas of pension law and has extensive experience in advising on issues related to pension scheme funding, investment and restructuring.
Significant recent experience includes:
- Advised the trustees of the John Player Ireland and Imperial Tobacco Mullingar pension schemes on two significant bulk annuity buy-out transactions.
- Advised Aviva’s Irish staff pension funds providing legal support on all issues relating to the operation of its defined benefit and defined contribution pension funds.
- Advised IKEA on various legal issues related to its Irish pension arrangements, including scheme amendments and IORP II related issues.
- Advised the Guinness Ireland Group Pension Scheme, one of the largest pension funds in the State, and provide advice on governance, funding and investment matters and all aspects of regulatory compliance.
Ian is a former Chairman of the Association of Pension Lawyers in Ireland. He is currently a member of the DC Sub-Committee of the Irish Association of Pension Funds and he has spoken at a variety of forums on topical pension issues.
Ranking & Recommendations
2025 Legal 500 EMEA
"He was very personable and knowledgeable and explained the complexities of the pension laws and processes clearly to allow us to deliver a good outcome for our company. He was available as required and proactive in responding to queries." "Practical, plain speaking with the ability to translate complex matters in to easily understood terms. Very responsive."

2025 Chambers Europe
"Ian is very easy to deal with, knowledgeable and communicates effectively, providing information in a clear, timely and concise manner."

Practice Areas
Related Knowledge
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