Murray Campbell

Murray is a pension lawyer who acts for boards of trustees and other sponsors of pension and benefit plans in the private and public sectors in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan. While Murray is a solicitor, he is regularly involved in pension and benefit litigation.

Murray is the head of Western Canada’s largest and most experienced Pension and Benefits Law Group.

Recognition and Ranking

• Lexpert Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada: recognized for pensions and employee benefits law
• Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory: most frequently recognized as a Leading Practitioner for pension law
• Best Lawyers in Canada: recognized for employee benefits law
• Best Lawyers: Employee Benefits Law Lawyer of the Year in Vancouver for 2011
• Chambers Global: recognized in the Pensions & Benefits (Canada) category
• Who's Who Legal Canada 2010: recognized for management labour & employment law

Professional Activities

• Canadian Bar Insurance Association, Board of Directors
• Pension and Benefits Law Section of the Canadian Bar Association (B.C. Branch) (1993 – 1995) and (2008 – 2010), Chair
• International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, Member
• International Pension and Employee Benefits Lawyers Association (IPEBLA), Member
• Canadian Pension and Benefits Institute, Member

Community Activities

• Forest Hills Little League (North Vancouver), Coach (2004 – present)
• Lawyers Assistance Program of BC Society, Board Member (2001 – 2007)

Bar Admissions

• Alberta (1985)
• British Columbia (1990)

Education

• University of Saskatchewan (B.Comm., 1983)
• Osgoode Hall Law School (LL.B., 1984)

Pension and Benefit Litigation Experience

Involved in disputes over or involving:

• Surplus allocation among members
• Reduction in post-retirement benefits
• Surplus ownership
• Contribution holidays
• Trustee deadlock resolution
• Surplus sharing
• Enhanced early retirement entitlement
• Entitlement to pre-retirement death benefit
• Recovery of benefit overpayments and third party reimbursements
• Disability benefit denial
• Trustee advice and direction

Pension and Benefits Practice (Non-Litigious)

• Advises over 30 boards of trustees of multi-employer pension or benefit plans
• Helped introduce joint trusteeship to several public sector pension plans in British Columbia, Alberta and Manitoba
• Advises trustees and other plan sponsors on fiduciary liability
• Prepares opinions on, and liaises with regulators and fundholders regarding, surplus ownership, contribution holidays and payment of administrative expenses
• Drafts and amends plan texts and trust agreements for RPPs, health and welfare plans, DPSPs, EPSPs, group RRSPs, RCAs and IPPs
• Drafts and implements supplemental pension arrangements
• Drafts and implements letters of credit trust arrangements to secure supplemental pension arrangements or comply with new solvency rules
• Helped establish new defined benefit multi-employer pension plan
• Advises on compliance with CAPSA CAP guidelines for participant directed defined contribution plans
• Advises on compliance with CAPSA Governance guidelines
• Implements PIPA compliant privacy policies for boards of trustees of pension and benefit plans

Murray has chaired and presented at many Pension and Employee Benefits Law conferences over the last 15 years. Some of his most recent engagements include: