Band 2
Band 3
About
Provided by Helen Gardiner
Practice Areas
Helen has significant experience of both commercial and employment litigation and has particular expertise in areas where the two fields intersect. She regularly appears in the High Court on high value claims involving breach of directors’ and fiduciary duties, restrictive covenants, breach of confidentiality and database rights, as well as shareholder disputes and bonus claims.
Helen advises and appears on a wide spectrum of commercial matters, and has a particular interest in breach of warranty claims, guarantee cases, and matters of banking and securities. She acts on behalf of both creditors and debtors in relation to challenges to the actions of receivers, recovery of assets held pursuant to finance agreements, allegations of fraudulently executed securities, subrogation, undue influence and applications for the possession and sale of property.
Helen also acts in all areas of employment law in both the Employment Tribunal and the High Court.
Career
2003-2006: BA Hons (Jurisprudence), Lincoln College, University of Oxford
2006: Bacon Award (Gray’s Inn)
2007: Called to the Bar (Gray’s Inn)
2007-2014: Chancery House Chambers
2014-2018: St Philips Chambers
2019 to date: Kings Chambers
2019: Appointed as Recorder, Family Division, North Eastern Circuit
2021: Appointed as Deputy District Judge, Civil, North Eastern Circuit and Judge of the First Tier Tribunal (Mental Health)
Work Highlights
Acting for a company alleged to have induced the breach of employment and fiduciary duties of a senior employee of a company, and pursuing a housing development using confidential information provided by said employee. The claim is pleaded at over £4 million and involves complex issues of causation, accounting, and projection of costs and profits.
Acting for a company sued on an unsigned guarantee, where it is alleged that liability arises by estoppel.
Representing a large retailer in linked proceedings relating to unequal pay and direct and indirect sex discrimination and harassment, with very lengthy particulars spanning a number of years. All discrimination claims were dismissed after a 7 day hearing.
Led by Ed Pepperall QC (as he then was), defending a complex $76 million breach of warranty claim heard over 5 weeks in the TCC.
Obtaining an injunction on behalf of a property developer against a bank to restrain appointment of receivers, and acting in the claim for over £1 million against it for alleged misrepresentation and breach of loan facility agreements.
Acting in the Crown Court for a bank and successfully protecting its security over a property which was the subject of a confiscation order pursuant to the Proceeds of Crime Act.
Representing a director of a company accused of breaching his duties, conspiring by unlawful means with his new employer, inducing breaches of customer contracts and breaching confidentiality obligations.
Obtaining an unless order against a Claimant for breach of disclosure obligations in a 10-year long litigation battle, and successfully resisting an application for relief from sanction when he failed to comply resulting in the multi-million pound claim being struck out.