Lawson Lundell's Labour and Employment Law Blog provides updates on the most recent legal developments impacting the Canadian workplace and offers practical tips for employers. We cover a range of topics, including labour relations, employment law, collective bargaining, human rights, employment standards, employment equity, workers' compensation, business immigration, privacy, occupational health and safety and pensions and employee benefits.
Practice Expertise
- Employee Benefits
- Pension & Benefit Plans
Areas of Practice
- Employee Benefits
- Pension & Benefit Plans
Profile
Meghan works with senior legal counsel to provide advice to boards of trustees and other sponsors of pension and employee benefit plans in respect of the legal and regulatory issues that affect their plans. Her practice includes the preparation of legal opinions, amendments to plan texts and trust documents, policies and governance materials. She also negotiates a variety of plan-related contracts, including investment management agreements, subscription agreements, custodian agreements, confidentiality agreements and letters of credit.
Meghan also advises clients on provincial and federal privacy legislation.
Prior to joining the Pensions and Employee Benefits Group, Meghan practiced in Lawson Lundell's Banking and Debt Financing Group where she worked on corporate and commercial transactions involving banks, private lenders and borrowers, including commercial debt financing, acquisition financing, asset-based lending, and project financing.
Meghan also advises clients on provincial and federal privacy legislation.
Prior to joining the Pensions and Employee Benefits Group, Meghan practiced in Lawson Lundell's Banking and Debt Financing Group where she worked on corporate and commercial transactions involving banks, private lenders and borrowers, including commercial debt financing, acquisition financing, asset-based lending, and project financing.
Bar Admissions
British Columbia (2010)
Education
University of Victoria (B.A., 2003)
University of British Columbia (J.D., 2009)
Areas of Practice
- Employee Benefits
- Pension & Benefit Plans
Professional Career
Significant Accomplishments
Meghan’s experience in pension and employee benefits law includes:
Advising clients on the regulatory and policy changes contemplated or implemented in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and at the federal level, including the new Pension Benefits Standards Act (British Columbia) and the new Family Law Act (British Columbia).
Advising clients on privacy legislation, including the Personal Information Protection Act (British Columbia), the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (British Columbia), the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (Canada) and the new federal anti-spam legislation (CASL).
Creating and amending plan texts and trust agreements to address specific issues that have arisen and to comply with the applicable law, including the amendment and restatement of the plan and trust documents of a broader public sector pension plan.
Drafting and assisting clients to implement internal policies and governance documents related to the administration of the plan, including: funding policies; governance policies; terms of reference, investment policies, conflict of interest policies and privacy policies.
Negotiating and providing advice in respect of third party service contracts for administrators of employee benefit plans.
Liaising with provincial and federal pension regulators and the Canada Revenue Agency in respect of the administration of employee benefit plans, amendments, requests for consent and other issues.
Assisting senior counsel in the representation of a multi-employer pension plan in an action to recover withdrawal obligations from a former participating employer.
Providing a pension governance workshop for trustees of a multi-employer pension plan.
Professional Associations
*Canadian Pension & Benefits Institute, Member
*International Association of Employee Benefit Plans, Member
*Canadian Bar Association, Member
*Canadian Bar Association, Pension & Benefits, Member
*Vancouver Bar Association, Member
*Law Society of British Columbia, Member
Recognition and Ranking
*During law school Meghan was the recipient of a number of academic awards, including the McCarthy Tetrault Diane Mason Memorial Prize in Contract Law, McCarthy Tetrault Prize in Torts, Leslie E Harowitz Memorial Prize and multiple Law Foundation Awards
Meghan’s experience in pension and employee benefits law includes:
Advising clients on the regulatory and policy changes contemplated or implemented in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and at the federal level, including the new Pension Benefits Standards Act (British Columbia) and the new Family Law Act (British Columbia).
Advising clients on privacy legislation, including the Personal Information Protection Act (British Columbia), the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (British Columbia), the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (Canada) and the new federal anti-spam legislation (CASL).
Creating and amending plan texts and trust agreements to address specific issues that have arisen and to comply with the applicable law, including the amendment and restatement of the plan and trust documents of a broader public sector pension plan.
Drafting and assisting clients to implement internal policies and governance documents related to the administration of the plan, including: funding policies; governance policies; terms of reference, investment policies, conflict of interest policies and privacy policies.
Negotiating and providing advice in respect of third party service contracts for administrators of employee benefit plans.
Liaising with provincial and federal pension regulators and the Canada Revenue Agency in respect of the administration of employee benefit plans, amendments, requests for consent and other issues.
Assisting senior counsel in the representation of a multi-employer pension plan in an action to recover withdrawal obligations from a former participating employer.
Providing a pension governance workshop for trustees of a multi-employer pension plan.
Professional Associations
*Canadian Pension & Benefits Institute, Member
*International Association of Employee Benefit Plans, Member
*Canadian Bar Association, Member
*Canadian Bar Association, Pension & Benefits, Member
*Vancouver Bar Association, Member
*Law Society of British Columbia, Member
Recognition and Ranking
*During law school Meghan was the recipient of a number of academic awards, including the McCarthy Tetrault Diane Mason Memorial Prize in Contract Law, McCarthy Tetrault Prize in Torts, Leslie E Harowitz Memorial Prize and multiple Law Foundation Awards
Articles
New Employment Standards Leaves for COVID-19 & Their Impact on Pension & Benefit Plans
By Meghan Popp, Sophia Ma |November 2020New Employment Standards Leaves for COVID-19 & Their Impact on Pension & Benefit Plans
By Meghan Popp, Sophia Ma |September 2020COVID-19 Measures Taken by Pension Regulators Across Canada Bulletin
By Meghan Popp, Sophia Ma |May 2020
What B.C. Family Law Changes To Pension Rules Mean For You (March 21, 2013), Author
Team of Lawson Lundell lawyers recognized in Lexpert Magazine's Big Deals for their role in the Catalyst Paper CCAA Restructuring (March 20, 2013)
Pension & Benefits Law Bulletin: B.C.’s New Family Law Act and Division of Pension Rules Now in Force (March 18, 2013), Author
Pension and Benefits Law Bulletin: SCC Releases its Decision in Sun Indalex Finance, LLC v. United Steelworkers (February 1, 2013), Author
"To Fund or Not to Fund for Solvency - Who Gets the Breaks?" (May 12, 2011), Co-Author
Blogs
North of 60 Blog
Our North of 60 Blog provides commentary on current legal trends and developments, and legislative updates affecting businesses in Northern Canada.
Pensions and Employee Benefits Law Blog
Lawson Lundell's Pension and Employee Benefits Law Blog provides updates on the most recent legal developments impacting pension and employee benefit plans. We cover a range of topics, including recent case law and changes to relevant provincial and federal legislation.
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