About Helen

It would be fair to say that Helen’s route into a career in law was not the usual path taken by many solicitors.  Helen left school at the age of 15 with a couple of qualifications (old fashioned ‘O’ levels) and started working as an office junior in a small local legal aid office, with two solicitors, two secretaries and an office cashier, which dealt with everything from trust and executory administration and conveyancing to criminal law, reparation and family law claims.  Helen continued to progress as a junior secretary and finally as a p.a. to a criminal partner.  After a short break, Helen started working with a commercial law firm as a paralegal, focusing on insurer representation and dealing with Employers; Liability Claims which led to Helen developing a specialism in asbestos claims and other occupational disease claims, acting on behalf of insurers and large organisations. At the age of 37, after 15 years of being a specialist paralegal, Helen commenced a law degree on a part time basis at Caledonia University.   After five years of study and a two-year traineeship, Helen finally qualified as solicitor in 2017 at the grand old age of 45.

Expertise

Helen’s career for over 30 years has focused on asbestos and non-asbestos occupational disease claims.  Helen now has 9 years PQE and is employed by Thompsons as an Associate in their Occupational Disease team.   As Helen has acted on behalf of Defenders and insurers for the majority of her career, she brings a unique perspective to the role of a pursuer’s agents.   Helen has vast experience in dealing with NIHL claims, HAVS, including VWF and CTS, repetitive strain injury and non-asbestos related lung diseases such as silicosis, pneumoconiosis, occupational asthma and lung cancer cases.