Expertise

Helen has a proven track record of leading legal services delivery at project specific and international key client level as well as providing construction related finance advice from project inception, feasibility and structuring to completion. Her clients include corporations and institutions, owning, financing, investing and procuring development and infrastructure.

• She leads Wedlake Bell’s Later Living Sector Group
• She is co-founder of Wedlake Bell’s “Tomorrow’s City, Today’s Challenge” initiative:
  https://www.wedlakebell.com/tomorrows-city-todayschallenge  and has leading expertise in sustainable construction having lead the acclaimed industry reports Hitting the Green Wall (2009) and Behind the Green Façade (2010).
• Head of construction at international law firm Taylor Wessing for six years.
• Internationally ranked expert by Euromoney (2019) Women in Business Law UK Construction.
• She is a member of the Board of Management of the British Council of Offices; leading on the legal content for the BCO Group Specification 2019

Recent Experience

Current projects include:

• Development, construction procurement and contract structures and construction finance advice for multiple senior living residential developments(each 100+ units with amenity space and care
  support) for off shore investor backed developer and operator. Advising from first entry to the UK market to a recognised market presence with its current US concept lifestyle later living developments in London and the South East at various stages from pre-planning through construction.
• High end residential developments (116 units in 2 linked buildings) for leading developer at Millbank and Marylebone (55 units and amenity space), City of Westminster.
• City of London residential tower development with world class concert hall and theatre facilities for institutional developer.
• Mixed use development in the Park Royal development area with proposed delivery of 450+ residential units (student accommodation, build to rent, affordable, private mix) with office and new community retail/leisure destination for a private family investor/developer.
• Headquarter office fit out in iconic City landmark office development for global insurer including fit out contract, bond and insurance arrangements.
• Construction advice and documentation for redevelopment of former airfield in Suffolk for private developer/investor in joint venture including estate infrastructure.

Notable projects include:

• Acting for the Royal Hospital Chelsea in the development at its Grade I listed site of The Lady Margaret Thatcher Infirmary, a 21st century care facility for the ‘Chelsea Pensioners’.
• Advising public grant body (both at strategic and project vehicle levels) in relation to construction security in respect of finance for numerous millennium linked construction projects nationwide with grants ranging from £100,000 to £40m. Schemes involved complex structuring to facilitate additional finance and tax requirements.
• Advising Heron International on its City of London schemes including the office development known as Heron Tower in relation to construction financing, handover and post completion matters and the office scheme known as “The Peak” on issues arising from the London Victoria Business Improvement District and Victoria Station upgrade including stakeholder engagement with Westminster City Council, TfL and local residents and business associations.
• Leading the multi discipline legal team advising a UK institutional lender on the restructuring of the Grosvenor Apartments on London’s Park Lane with construction stalled at 60% complete including renegotiation of all construction contracts, securing support of third party and off-short interests, refinance and successful completion.
• Construction advice and documentation for social landlord for pathfinder urban residential zero energy development at Beddington known as BedZED.
• Construction documentation for relocation of new UK and European Headquarters for US bank to Canary Wharf Tower, Docklands and then to the City.
• Advising a German financial institution in connection with the finalising of construction of a student accommodation facility in Leeds; the tallest student accommodation tower in Europe and which involved modular construction.
• Advising a European lender on the significant facility for the Cannon Place office development over Cannon Street station, London and negotiations with related key stakeholders including Network Rail and London Underground Limited concerning infrastructure improvements.

Career History

Helen has over 25 years’ experience providing construction and development legal advice for a wide range of schemes from project inception and feasibility through to completion – including leading construction and multidisciplinary transaction teams. She is recognised as a leader in her field for over 15 years and profiled in the Law Society’s Gazette. https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/people/interview-helengarthwaite/5053065.article.

Helen was selected by an institutional lender as its key client partner responsible for managing international and domestic legal relationships and legal services delivery.

Helen is a member (and past Council member) of the Society of Construction Law and of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. She is internationally ranked expert by Euromoney (2019) Women in Business Law UK.

Helen holds a Master of Science in Construction Law and Arbitration, Kings College, London and she qualified as a solicitor in 1990.

Publications

• “Building for Life not Age” – Building, July 2018
• “Regulation has a key role to play in infrastructure improvement” – Property Week, July 2017
• “Building a connected tomorrow’s city” – UK Construction Online, July 2017
• “Investing now to futureproof tomorrow’s infrastructure” – Infrastructure Intelligence, July 2017
• “JCT subcontracts: Court of Appeal calls time on extensions of time” – Construction News, March 2017
• “BCO Guide for Specification”, British Council of Offices (contributor legal issues)
• “Building Information Modelling Report”, British Council of Offices, May 2013 (steering group member)
• “Hitting the Green Wall… and Beyond – 2010 Sustainability Report” (led the Report, published in conjunction with British Property Federation)
• “Behind the Green Façade 2009 Sustainability Report” (led the report, winner of the Property Marketing Awards and Victor Ludorum 2010)
• “Construction, Law and the Environment” – Joint Editor with Professor John UFF QC