Helen Bates

Helen is a Partner in our insolvency and restructuring team.

With over 24 years’ experience, Helen is a highly regarded lawyer who advises on all aspects of both corporate and personal insolvency and restructuring.

Her clients include national and regional insolvency practitioners, banks and other lenders, creditors, debtors, business owners, companies, directors, guarantors and other individuals.

Helen’s practice spans a wide range of both contentious and non-contentious work. This includes advising businesses and individuals in financial distress (or those impacted by it), supporting the various parties involved in transactional matters (such as sellers, buyers, guarantors, funders and other stakeholders) as well as bringing and defending claims.

Recognised as a Next Generation Partner by The Legal 500 for being “extremely good” and having a “wide range of experience”, Helen’s clients praise her “willingness to help, attention to detail and knowledge” that “stands her apart from other insolvency lawyers”, as well as her ability to “think outside the box” and always find a solution.

Helen is a well-known and respected member of the profession, serving on the committees for both R3 (the trade association for the UK's insolvency and restructuring professionals) for the Yorkshire Region and IWIRC (International Women's Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation) for Yorkshire and the North East.

Helen joined us in June 2026 and is based in our Leeds office.