About Helen
Helen qualified as a solicitor in 2019, prior to which she worked as a marine mammal scientist and environmental consultant. She has experience advising on Environmental Impact Assessments and Habitats Regulations Assessments, transactional support and regulatory requirements.
Helen has presented on the interaction between science and law at scientific and legal conferences and is a guest lecturer at the University of St Andrews. She was listed on the inaugural ENDS Power List of 100 environmental professionals in 2022.
Helen is a Deputy Director of the not-for profit Cet Law and a Member of Council of the UK Environmental Law Association and the Mammal Society. She has an LLM in Environmental Law from Newcastle University and an MRes in Marine Mammal Science from the University of St Andrews.
Contact Helen
Call: 0345 077 9612
Mobile: 0797 380 1851
Notable work & expertise
Recent Work
- Undertaking legal review of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for a variety of projects and clients I order to address any environmental liabilities that are likely to arise as part of the EIA process and mitigate the risk of challenge.
- Acting for an interested party in their opposition to the development of two offshore windfarms off the coast of England, including a review of the EIA and Habitats Regulations Assessment.
- Advising on the granting of consents for development in areas where there are constraints due to proximity to protected sites, with recent work focussing on issues around air pollution and nitrates.
- Advising environmental NGOs with responses to consultation on emerging legislation, amends to current legislation and campaigns with a legal basis.
- Writing as an 'environmental expert' for Lexis Nexis on offshore wind and EIA, Including articles on the DCO process for offshore wind and a summary of the recent high profile judgment in Pearce v Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy [2021] EWHC 326 (Admin); and R (on the application of Finch (on behalf of the Weald Action Group)) v Surrey County Council and others (Friends of the Earth Ltd intervening) [2022] EWCA Civ 187.
- Provision of specialized advice on a range of environmental issues related to contaminated land remediation and apportionment of liability, flood risk, air quality issues, statutory nuisances, and management of both protected and invasive species.
- Assisting with responses to consultations on topics including: Marine Net Gain, Biodiversity Net Gain and the Nature Recovery Green Paper.
- Assisting counsel on a high-profile judicial review regarding the definition of waste.
Environmental Consultancy
- Preparation and writing of scoping reports and EIAs for offshore exploratory drilling and field development projects in the Gulf of Mexico, Mediterranean and Africa based on UK standards and regulations.
- Provision of in-house environmental support to several energy companies operating in the North Sea, including.
- In-house support to a uranium enrichment facility with the creation of an operational Waste Quality Management System and development of a site wide Integrated Management System in line with nuclear industry standards and ISO 9001.
- Assisting with writing the ‘Environmental and Sustainability’ chapter as part of the bid team for the successful bidder for the northern rail franchise.
Related news & articles
Contact us today
Whatever your legal needs, our wide ranging expertise is here to support you and your business, so let’s start your legal journey today and get you in touch with the right lawyer to get you started.
Get in touch
For general enquiries, please complete this form and we will direct your message to the most appropriate person.