She is an experienced commercial litigator leading on high value and complex disputes including:
- Contractual disputes, including misrepresentation, supply chain disputes and outsourcing disputes
- Corporate transaction disputes including joint venture disputes, warranty and indemnity claims
- Employment and executive disputes including shareholder disputes, directors’ duties, injunctive relief, enforcement of restrictive covenants, misuse of confidential information
Helen also has extensive experience in public sector disputes and in particular public procurement and judicial review.
Helen represents both challenger and contracting authorities across a number of sectors in procurement challenges on a pre-action basis and in formal court proceedings. These often involve applications to lift the automatic suspension, confidentiality issues, applications for early and specific disclosure and expedited trials.
In addition, Helen advises authority clients on the design, conduct and decisions made during live competitions identifying risk issues and possible mitigation measures and delivers training to evaluators and moderators on their roles and responsibilities. Following contract award, Helen advises on inflight contract issues such as modifications, performance, contract extensions and termination.
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Recent experience includes:
- acting for NNB in a judicial review challenging the dredging and disposal of sediment from the Severn Estuary Special Area Of Conservation as part of the construction of Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant, a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project by the UK government
- defending Gloucestershire County Council in a claim brought against the award of an energy from waste contract, which at over £600m was the largest contract ever let by the Council. The litigation was notable for the judgment, which clarified the test for the court to apply when determining whether a claimant is an economic operator to be able to bring a claim within the meaning of the procurement regulations
- acting for the Department for Transport in proceedings brought by Arriva and Stagecoach challenging their respective disqualifications for non-compliance from the East Midlands Rail Franchise competition
- acting for UK Biocentre in defending a challenge to the appointment of an automated diagnostics software provider to support the Government’s Covid-19 mass testing programme at the four national Lighthouse Laboratories
- representing Consultant Connect in a challenge to a contract awarded by three NHS Integrated Health Care Boards. This was the first case where the Court ordered that the contract awarded be shortened
- Legal 500 - Next Generation Partner