Cathy Smith is a counsel and member of the firm’s case development and client advisory group, where she is tasked with institutional investor and client outreach. She represents the firm in professional organizations, as well as numerous state and local pension fund associations.
Prior to joining the firm, Cathy was the General Counsel for the Government Employees’ Retirement System of the U.S. Virgin Islands. As the General Counsel, Cathy provided oversight for the management of the legal operations, including litigation, the management of pension benefits, member loan accounts, and pension fund planning, ensuring efficient and effective management of the pension fund assets to protect the interest of its fund members. She provided advice on pension law, pension fund strategies, pension legal requirements, investment agreements and investment management, financing documents, trustee agreements to the Administrator (CEO), the Board of Trustees, and the pension fund staff. She drafted legislation for submission to the Legislature on proposed changes to the existing pension laws and regulations, testified before the Virgin Islands Legislature on the proposed changes and effects on the GERS and the membership and plan benefits. Cathy was regularly requested by the executive branch of the Virgin Islands Government to analyze proposed pension legislation and opine on the effects of the changes on the plan, the plan funding, the plan sponsor, the membership, consistency with Virgin Islands law and legality of the proposed changes. Cathy also acted as a policy advisor to the Administrator/CEO advising on pension fund strategies.
Cathy has been a member of the International Pension & Employee Benefits Lawyers Association’s (IPEBLA) since 2010 and was elected as a member of the Steering Committee (Board) and Chair of the Membership Committee in May 2015. In May 2019, she held the position of Vice Chairman of IPEBLA’s 2019 Conference in Lisbon, Portugal. In 2021, Cathy was elected Chair of IPEBLA, a position she held until May 30, 2024. Cathy has been a frequent speaker at IPEBLA conferences on various pension topics. In March 2023, Cathy was a speaker at the South African Pension Lawyers Association (PLA) annual conference in Cape Town, and at the National Association of Public Pension Attorneys (NAPPA) Legal Education conference in June 2023.