2tg
Helen Bell
Call: 2002
Expertise
Employment Personal Injury Commercial Property Damage
Qualifications
2000 BVC Nottingham Law School, Very Competent
2001 BA Jurisprudence Wadham College, Oxford University, First Class
Appointments
Treasury C Panel 2008
Practice Profile
Helen joined chambers in 2003 with a first class degree in Jurisprudence from
Helen acts for both Claimants and Respondents and has appeared in a range of final and interim hearings in Employment Tribunals. She is regularly instructed to attend case management discussions and pre-hearing reviews and has experience of dealing with a wide variety of procedural issues, including specific disclosure, amendment of pleadings, applications to strike out and costs. She has recently appeared on behalf of a successful Respondent to an application for interim relief. Helen has also appeared in the Employment Appeal Tribunal.
Helen practices in all areas of employment law and has experience of claims including unfair, constructive and wrongful dismissal, sex, race, disability and age discrimination, victimisation, harassment, whistleblowing, unlawful deduction of wages as well as claims pursuant to the Working Time Regulations 1998.
She has been instructed by the Treasury Solicitor on numerous occasions and in 2004 acted on behalf of the Prison Service in a multi claimant claim for sex and sexual orientation discrimination. More recently she acted on behalf of the successful Respondent in Total Gas & Power Limited v Wijnja UKEAT 0059/06 concerning the circumstances in which the EAT will grant an extension of time in which to file a Notice of Appeal.
Helen regularly gives in house seminars on various aspects of employment law.
Helen regularly appears before Circuit and District Judges in a range of final and interim hearings in the County Courts. She has also appeared in the Queen’s Bench and Admiralty Divisions of the High Court and in the Court of Appeal, most recently having appeared as junior counsel on behalf of a successful Claimant in respect of his claim for damages for personal injuries sustained during the course of his employment at sea. She specialises in claims concerning road traffic accidents including claims involving the MIB, health and safety in the workplace including claims for occupational stress, occupiers’ liability for defective premises, accidents abroad and accidents on the highway. Her practice also involves all aspects of civil procedure including summary disposal, strike out, disclosure, experts and costs. Helen has a particular interest in service related issues having recently been successful in striking out a personal injury claim for failure to serve proceedings in time. She also has experience of Compensation Recovery Unit Appeals and inquests.
Helen has been instructed in claims concerning a number of different types of contractual dispute but has a particular interest in claims concerning the sale and supply of goods and services and claims concerning the Package Travel Regulations, having successfully defended a claim against a travel agent for misrepresentation.
Helen has experience of a wide range of property damage claims. In particular she has experience of claims concerning tree root related subsidence, having been instructed for and against various local authorities and claims concerning damage to property owned by public utilities.
Notable Cases
Total Gas & Power v Wijnja UKEAT 0059/06
Sylwester Dziennik v CTO Gesellschaft fur Containertransport MBH & Co MS Juturna KG [2006] EWCA Civ 1456
Additional Information
Awards
Harmsworth Scholarship, Middle Temple Inn, 2001
Hammond Suddards Edge Prize for Copyright and Moral Rights, 2001
Slaughter and May Prize for Legal History, 2001
Wadham College Scholar, Oxford University 1998 - 2001
Affiliations
Personal Injury Bar Association (PIBA)
Employment Law Bar Association (ELBA)
Employment Lawyers Association (ELA)
Professional Negligence Bar Association (PNBA)
London Common Law and Commercial Bar Association (LCLCBA)
Seminars
The latest caselaw on disability discrimination.
Dispute resolution: Interpreting the statutory disciplinary and grievance procedures.
Stressful dismissals after Dunnachie and Eastwood
Publications
New Law Journal Personal Injury Update October 2007
New Law Journal Personal Injury Update March 2007
When is an admission of liability no longer binding? Injury Times, Summer 2006
