New York › Professional, scientific and technical services › 100 to 249 participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024
Shearman & Sterling LLP Cash Balance Pension Plan
Sponsored by Allen Overy Shearman Sterling US LLP, New York, NY
Form 5500 information is as filed by the plan administrator with the Department of Labor and may be amended. Figures reflect the plan year shown, not current balances. Form 5500 contains no individual account balances. Look up the original filing at EFAST2.
Allen Overy Shearman Sterling US LLP of New York, New York sponsors Shearman & Sterling LLP Cash Balance Pension Plan, a cash balance pension plan. Its Form 5500 for the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024 shows 235 participants (133 active) and $69.5M in net assets.
Net assets came to $295,570 per participant, well above the $80,635 median for defined benefit plans with 100 to 249 participants and well above the $176,808 median for defined benefit plans in professional, scientific and technical services. The figure is an average across everyone in the plan, including former employees with small balances; Form 5500 holds no individual account data.
Employer contributions were $6.5M for the year ($48,516 per active participant) and benefits paid were $6.3M. In a defined benefit plan the employer's contribution follows funding rules rather than a match formula, so it can swing widely from year to year.
The filing reports no service provider compensation on Schedule C. That is common where fees are paid by the employer or taken from investment returns, neither of which appears there. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $0.
Across the filings on record, net assets went from $8.7M in 2016 to $69.5M in 2024 (up 700%), and participants from 211 to 235 (up 11%).
The independent accountant's opinion on the financial statements was unmodified (unqualified), from an audit whose scope was limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C) to exclude investment information certified by a bank or insurer.
Compared with similar plans
| Measure | This plan | Same size | Same industry | All US DB plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $295,570 | $80,635 | $176,808 | $86,221 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $48,516 | $9,975 | $35,855 | $10,244 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | — | $451 | $450 | $344 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | — | 0.52% | 0.30% | 0.42% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | — | $582 | $596 | $527 |
Peer columns are medians for plan year 2024 across defined benefit plans with 100 or more participants: 100 to 249 participants (1,156 plans), professional, scientific and technical services (277) and all US plans (5,308). Fee medians cover plans that report an amount.
Trend by plan year
| Plan year | Participants | Net assets | Per participant | Employer contributions | Participant contributions | Schedule C compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 235 | $69.5M | $295,570 | $6.5M | — | $0 |
| 2023 | 250 | $62.7M | $250,924 | $4.2M | — | $0 |
| 2022 | 255 | $56.4M | $221,314 | $7.7M | — | $0 |
| 2021 | 245 | $62.0M | $252,996 | $7.9M | — | $0 |
| 2020 | 240 | $50.2M | $209,046 | $8.6M | — | $0 |
| 2019 | 231 | $37.2M | $160,926 | $8.6M | — | $0 |
| 2018 | 217 | $25.0M | $115,235 | $8.6M | — | $0 |
| 2017 | 205 | $17.8M | $86,590 | $8.4M | — | $0 |
| 2016 | 211 | $8.7M | $41,171 | $8.7M | — | $0 |
Years in which the plan filed the full Form 5500 with 100 or more participants, from 2009. Plan year is the year in which the plan year began.
Statement for the year
- Net assets, beginning of year$62,731,115
- Employer contributions$6,452,675
- Participant contributions—
- Rollovers and other contributions—
- Total contributions$6,452,675
- Total income, including investment results$13,017,717
- Benefits paid$6,289,775
- Administrative expenses$0
- Total expenses$6,289,775
- Net income$6,727,942
- Net transfers$0
- Net assets, end of year$69,459,057
Participants
- Active participants133
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits17
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits85
- Total participants, end of year235
Fees and service providers
No service provider organisations are listed on Schedule C for this plan year.
Schedule C, Part I line 2: providers that received $5,000 or more, with the form's own service codes. Individuals named on Schedule C (plan employees, individual trustees) are never shown and their compensation is excluded. Eligible indirect compensation disclosed by formula carries no dollar amount. See how to read Schedule C fees.
Investment structure
Assets at year end by Schedule H category. The form shows the kind of vehicle holding the money, not the funds on the menu.
- Master trust investment accounts$69.5M · 100.0%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionUnmodified (unqualified)
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)Yes
- Accounting firmEisnerAmper LLP
- Participant contributions reported as transmitted lateNo
- Covered by a fidelity bondYes, $500,000
- Blackout period during the yearNo
These are the plan administrator's own answers on Schedule H, Part IV. A reported late transmittal is the filer's disclosure of a timing lapse, usually corrected through the Department of Labor's voluntary program; the amount is the total involved, not a loss.
Plan characteristics
1CCash balance or similar plan3BPlan covering self-employed individuals
Codes entered on Form 5500 line 8a, with the labels from the official instructions. Business code 541110: Offices of Lawyers.
Other plans of Allen Overy Shearman Sterling US LLP
| Plan | Participants | Net assets |
|---|---|---|
| Shearman & Sterling LLP Retirement Savings Plan | 2,266 | $542M |
| Allen & Overy 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan | 533 | $132M |
| Allen & Overy Associates 401(k) Plan | 501 | $50.8M |
| Shearman & Sterling LLP Partners Defined Contribution Plan | 342 | $301M |
| Allen & Overy LLP Cash Balance Pension Plan | 120 | $41.8M |
Similar plans in New York
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP 2013 Cash Balance Plan | Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP | 257 | $60.7M | $236,196 |
| D.F. King & Co., Inc. Pension Plan | D.F. King & Co., Inc. | 231 | $14.2M | $61,543 |
| Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP Partner Pension Plan | Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP | 261 | $127M | $485,599 |
| Weil, Gotshal & Manges Partners' Variable Annuity Plan | Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP | 222 | $128M | $578,351 |
| Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman & Dicker, LLP Defined Benefit Plan for Non-Legal Staff | Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman, & Dicker LLP | 268 | $11.3M | $42,235 |
| Weil, Gotshal & Manges Partners' Variable Defined Benefit Plan | Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP | 205 | $27.4M | $133,899 |
Defined benefit plans in professional, scientific and technical services closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is Shearman & Sterling LLP Cash Balance Pension Plan?
235 participants at the end of the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024, of whom 133 were active employees, with net assets of $69,459,057. Among defined benefit plans that places it in the 100 to 249 participants band, which held 1,156 plans in plan year 2024.
What does Allen Overy Shearman Sterling US LLP contribute per participant?
The filing reports $6,452,675 in employer contributions for the year, which is $48,516 per active participant; the median for plans of the same type and size was $9,975 in plan year 2024. Form 5500 reports the total only. It does not state the match formula, and the per-participant figure is an average, not any one person's contribution.
What fees does the plan pay and how do they compare?
Schedule C reports no provider compensation for the year. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $0. Investment costs deducted inside mutual funds and other pooled vehicles are not itemised on Form 5500, so these figures are a floor rather than a full cost.
Who runs the plan?
The sponsor is Allen Overy Shearman Sterling US LLP. The financial statements were audited by EisnerAmper LLP. Form 5500 also names the plan administrator's signer and other individuals; this site publishes organisations only.
Was the audit opinion unqualified?
The filing reports an unmodified (unqualified) opinion from a limited-scope audit, in which the accountant did not audit investment information certified by a bank or insurance company. Unmodified (formerly "unqualified") is the standard clean opinion.
How current is this, and does it show my balance?
This is the Form 5500 for the plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024, received by the Department of Labor on 10 Oct 2025. Filings are due seven months after the plan year ends, or nine and a half with an extension, so the public record always runs a year or more behind. It contains plan-level totals only: no individual balances, contributions or names of participants exist in the data.
Provenance
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Form 5500 research files (Form 5500, Schedule H, Schedule C) for plan years 2009 to 2025, public domain, with filings received through 24 Aug 2026. This page shows the latest filing on record for EIN 13-5514352, plan 114, received 10 Oct 2025; an amended filing replaces it at the next build. Medians and percentiles are computed by this site; see the methodology. Report an error through corrections.