Essential Tasks of Pension and Benefit Plan Trustees
— 33rd Annual —
February 24, 2027 at 9:00AM PDT
Downtown Vancouver and Live Webinar
Essential Tasks of Pension and Benefit Plan Trustees
February 24, 2027
Overview
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Key Areas Addressed:
Being an effective pension and benefit trustee: responsibilities, protections and current developments
Legal update
An update from the BC Financial Services Authority
Demographics is destiny
“What’s in a number?”: Age based restrictions in pension and benefit plans and current developments
Finding true north: SHEPP’s journey from deficit to surplus
This Program Is Designed For:
Pension and benefit plan trustees
Pension consultants, investment professionals, lawyers and other advisors
Actuaries
Insurance professionals
Agenda
9:00 - Welcome and Introduction by PBLI
9:05 - Chair’s Welcome and Introduction
Lisa Chamzuk
Lawson Lundell LLP
9:10 - Being an Effective Pension and Benefit Trustee: Responsibilities, Protections and Current Developments
Lisa Chamzuk
Lawson Lundell LLP
What is a trust and how the trust concept is used to fund pension and benefit plans
Trustee duties in the context of pension and benefit plans
Overseeing advisors and delegates
Protections for Trustees
Discussion will include recent court decisions that affect Trustees’ duties in relation to pension and benefit plan administration
10:30 - Questions and Discussion
10:40 -Refreshment Adjournment
10:55 - Legal Update
Kenneth E. Burns
Lawson Lundell LLP
An update on the key legislative and case law developments over the last year
11:25 - Questions and Discussion
11:35 - An Update from the BC Financial Services Authority
Beth Robb
Financial Services Authority (BCFSA)
Get to know BC’s pension regulator
Top compliance topics to address with your administrator
12:20 - Questions and Discussion
12:30 -Networking Lunch
1:30 - Demographics is Destiny
Euan Reid
Eckler Ltd.
Whether you are overseeing a pension plan or benefit plan, demographics are of critical importance
Population changes from changes in immigration policy
Falling fertility rates
Later retirement patterns
What are the implications for your plan?
How can you manage and protect your plan and its members and plan for the future?
2:15 - Questions and Discussion
2:25 - Refreshment Adjournment
2:40 - “What’s in a Number?”: Age Based Restrictions in Pension and Benefit Plans and Current Developments
Meghan Popp
Lawson Lundell LLP
Jojy Oommen
Convyta Partners LP
If there has been a trend in benefit plan (and even pension plan) litigation in recent years, it has been an increase in human rights challenges to age-based limitations in such plans
The recent decision of Okanagan College will be discussed as well as other cases that challenge age based limitations in benefit and pension plans
Further to this, we will explore how changes to age-based limitations could impact benefit plans from a cost perspective
3:25 - Questions and Discussion
3:35 - Finding True North: SHEPP’s Journey from Deficit to Surplus
Paula Potter
Saskatchewan Healthcare Employees’ Pension Plan (SHEPP)
Murray Campbell
Lawson Lundell LLP
Dave Larsen
Aon
Setting the Course: Joint trusteeship and the challenge of a funding deficit
Weathering the Storm: Navigating two global market downturns
Reaching Safe Harbour: Patience and disciplined stewardship that restored full funding and enabled surplus use
Charting the Future: Lessons for governance, policy, process, and people
4:20 - Questions and Discussion
4:30 - Networking Reception Sponsored by Lawson Lundell LLP
Meet the Chair
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Partner, Lawson Lundell LLP
Lisa practices exclusively in the area of pensions and employee benefits, advising plan sponsors and administrators across the private and public sectors and a wide range of industries. Her practice focuses on legal and regulatory issues affecting pension and benefit plans, with particular experience supporting boards of trustees administering multi-employer arrangements.
She regularly advises on compliance with pension standards legislation and the Income Tax Act, plan amendments involving benefit improvements or reductions, and administrator duties. Lisa also assists with commercial agreements, risk management strategies such as annuitization, governance issues, and responding to member inquiries and complaints. She liaises frequently with pension regulatory bodies across Canada and often presents to plan administrators on emerging legal matters.
Lisa is relied upon by over 20 boards of trustees, including union-sponsored and jointly sponsored plans, to provide practical and timely legal advice. She also supports litigation counsel in complex disputes, offering strategic input grounded in her deep knowledge of pension and benefit law.
In addition to her core practice, Lisa has developed expertise in privacy and data management, advising plan sponsors and administrators on compliance with legal and regulatory requirements in this area.
Meet the Faculty
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Partner, Lawson Lundell LLP
Murray’s practice is focused exclusively on pension and benefits law. He advises clients on the governance, restructuring, and modernization of pension and benefit plans and their supporting legal frameworks. With over 30 years’ experience, he has advised numerous clients with respect to the reorganization and modernization of their pension and benefit plans, as well as their governing documents.
Murray played a central role in the introduction of joint trusteeship to pension plans in the British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba public sectors, and currently acts for more than 20 boards of trustees (or similar governing bodies) of public sector pension and benefit plans.
Murray’s clients include boards of trustees and other sponsors of public and private sector pension and benefit plans across British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Alberta. While his practice is solicitor-based, he regularly provides strategic direction and technical support in pension and benefit litigation.
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Partner, Aon
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Partner, Convyta Partners LP
Jojy has experience in the health benefits field. During this time, he has had the privilege of working with plans ranging from small start-ups all the way through to some of Canada’s largest benefit programs.
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Principal, Pension, Eckler Ltd.
Whether they are lay trustees or financial experts, Euan’s straight-talking approach helps his clients focus on the issues that matter. With more than 20 years of experience in Canada and the UK, he has advised clients in the public and private sectors on pensions, capital adequacy and risk management.
Euan is a Fellow of both the Canadian Institute of Actuaries and the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries in the UK.
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Partner, Lawson Lundell LLP
Ken practices exclusively in the firm’s pensions and employee benefits law practice group. He advises pension and benefit plan sponsors on a range of legal and regulatory issues affecting their plans. He advises on pension plan governance and compliance monitoring projects, regulatory applications and the handling of pension disputes. He works with managers in the drafting and maintenance of pension documents, including plan texts, trust agreements, governance policies, investment policies, funding policies, plan assessments, as well as investment manager and other service provider contracts. Ken is frequently involved in assisting parties in mergers and acquisitions on the pension and benefits issues arising in the course of planning and executing their transactions.
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Partner, Lawson Lundell LLP
Meghan is a partner in the firm’s Pension and Employee Benefits Group. She works with boards of trustees and other administrators and sponsors of pension and benefit plans in the private and public sectors across a wide range of industries in British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Alberta.
Meghan advises on issues that arise in the day-to-day administration of plans, as well as larger projects such as plan mergers and reorganizations. She provides advice on compliance with pension standards legislation, family property law, tax law, human rights law and privacy law. She also works with administrators on governance issues, the interpretation and amendment of plan texts, trust agreements and policies, and negotiating plan related contracts. Meghan regularly liaises with the BC Financial Services Authority and other regulatory agencies through her practice.
She is recognized by Chambers Canada: Pensions & Benefits and Best Lawyers in Canada: Employee Benefits Law as “Ones to Watch” for her “outstanding professional excellence”.
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Director, Pension, BC Financial Services Authority (BCFSA)
Beth joined BCFSA in November 2025 and leads a team of analysts responsible for the supervision of over 600 registered pension plans in the province.
Over the past 15 years Beth has held progressively senior roles in risk management in large, complex organizations in private sector, government and agency organizations in BC and Alberta. Prior to joining BCFSA, Beth held a senior role in corporate risk management at British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI), working with BC's large public sector pension plans, trusts and special purpose funds. She has also worked at the national and international levels developing and negotiating interjurisdictional standards via a consensus-based process through her work in Canada’s CSA Committees for ISO 31000 Risk Management Guidelines and 37000 Governance of Organizations.
Beth is a CPA and holds a Bachelor of Management in International Business from the University of Lethbridge.
She’s excited to lead the knowledgeable, engaged team in BCFSA’s Pensions Branch and advocate for the work they undertake to ensure the pensions of 1.39M British Columbians are soundly managed.
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CEO, Saskatchewan Healthcare Employees’ Pension Plan (SHEPP)
Paula Potter is Chief Operating Officer at the Saskatchewan Healthcare Employees Pension Plan (SHEPP), where she leads the integration of technology, compliance, and data-driven insights to support effective decision-making and operational excellence. A Certified Employee Benefits Specialist with more than 22 years of experience at SHEPP and its predecessor, the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (SAHO) Retirement Plan, Paula has built a career focused on strengthening pension plans and improving retirement security for members.
Paula brings a thoughtful and forward-looking approach to the pension and benefits sector, combining deep industry expertise with a commitment to continuous learning. She holds a Graduate Certificate in Executive Coaching and is currently an MBA candidate at Royal Roads University, further expanding her knowledge across business disciplines to better serve plan members and stakeholders. She is also an active contributor to the industry, serving on the regional council for the Association of Canadian Pension Management (ACPM).
Registration Form
Program:
Essential Tasks of Pension and Benefit Plan Trustees
Date:
February 24, 2027
Location:
UBC Robson Square (800 Robson Street - Classroom level), Vancouver, BC
Registration:
The registration fee is $990.00 plus GST of $49.50 totalling $1039.50 for webinar and in-person attendance. Registration fee covers your attendance at the program and electronic materials. In-person attendance includes a catered lunch and refreshments throughout the day.
Group Discount:
Register four persons from the same organization at the same time and you are entitled to a complimentary fifth registration. Discounts cannot be combined.
If you would like to register a group, please fill out this form and email it to registrations@pbli.com:
Payment:
You may pay by VISA, Mastercard or cheque. Cheques should be made payable to the Pacific Business & Law Institute and mailed to Unit 2-2246 Spruce Street, Vancouver, BC V6H 2P3. Please do not send cheques via courier with signature required.
When and Where:
Check-in begins at 8:30 a.m. The program starts at 9:00 a.m. (PDT). UBC Robson Square is located at 800 Robson Street in Vancouver, BC, and our event will take place on the classroom level. Please visit https://robsonsquare.ubc.ca/find-us/ for directions.
Materials:
The faculty will prepare papers and/or other materials explaining many of the points raised during this program. Materials will be distributed electronically. Please contact us at registrations@pbli.com if you are unable to attend the program and wish to purchase a set of materials.
Cancellations/Transfers:
Refunds will be given for cancellations (less a $60.00 administration fee) if notice is received in writing five full business days prior to the program (February 17, 2027). After that time we are unable to refund registration fees. Substitutions will be permitted. We reserve the right to cancel, change or revise the date, faculty, content, availability of webinar or venue and transfer in-person registration to webinar registration for this event.
To register by phone:
Telephone us: 604-730-2500
Your Privacy:
We will keep all information that you provide to us in strict confidence, other than to prepare a delegate list containing your name, title, firm and city for our faculty and the program delegates. We do not share our mailing lists with any non-affiliated organization.
Course Accreditation:
Attendance at this course can be listed for up to 6 hours of continuing professional development credits with the Law Society of BC. For practitioners in other jurisdictions, please check your governing body’s CPD requirements.
If you would like to register a group, please fill out this form (DOWNLOAD FORM) and email it to registrations@pbli.com (*This form is for registrations of 5 or more and cannot be combined with any other promotions/discount codes.)
For individual registration, please continue with form below.