Direct Access Barrister
Helen Brown Johnson
Direct Access Barrister
Helen Brown Johnson
Helen is an effective advocate, having represented clients in an array of County Court and High Court hearings, with some additional exposure to Tribunals. She is regularly instructed to attend small claims and fast track trials and an array of application hearings. She has been praised for her ability to work well with clients while also understanding the complexities of the law and exercising excellent judgement while simultaneously arguing robustly for the position of her client.
Helen has the ability to work with a range of clients from diverse backgrounds, working well with corporate leaders and litigants in persons alike. Her background in researching and developing projects that respond to complex and multiple needs means that she is sensitive to the issues that more vulnerable clients face, whereas her experience in entrepreneurship and business means that she understands the organisational context.
Backed by a wide professional background in policy, research, psychology, online businesses, and disability, she brings strong interpersonal skills to her practice. Both instructing solicitors and lay clients will find Helen to be hard working, approachable, and someone they can feel at ease with.
Area of Law
Commercial
Helen has successfully represented cases in many aspects of commercial law, including:
Contractual disputes
Bankruptcy, Insolvency & Liquidation
Credit Agreements and Credit Hire
Commercial debt claims
- Advising on, drafting and reviewing business contracts and agreements
- Preparing and representing at court
- Handling interim remedies
- Advising on contractual and partnership disputes
- Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 and the Consumer Rights Act 2015
Helen has an understanding of wider commercial concerns and a familiarity with different types of commercial contracts and organisational contexts.
At the level of the consumer, her background in coaching and psychology means that she is able to support consumers through stressful hearings and litigation, helping them to understand the legal issues, while advocating robustly on their behalf.
Defamation
Helen has advised on defamation, harassment and misuse of private information, including supporting the drafting of settlement agreements.
Education
- Representing students in internal and external appeals relating to academic and non-academic disciplinary matters and misconduct
- Advising and representing clients in complaints to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator. Typically including breaches of regulation, University policy and contract, mitigating and extenuating circumstances, breaches of the Equality Act 2010
- Acting in judicial review proceedings against schools, universities, examination boards, and local authorities
- Representing parents and pupils in school exclusion appeals and SEND Tribunal cases
Employment and Pensions
- Representing in employment tribunals for unfair dismissal, redundancy, whistleblowing, equal pay, and discrimination claims
- Drafting pleadings and skeleton arguments, conducting cross-examination, and handling remedy hearings
- Advising on employment contracts, restrictive covenants, and confidentiality clauses
- Negotiating settlement agreements and advising on exit strategies for both employees and employers
Family
Within family law, Helen welcomes instruction on matters relating to:
Child arrangements
All areas of matrimonial divorce and financial settlements
Pre and post-nuptial agreements
TOLATA
Adoption
Children act
Family injunctions
Helen has a nuanced understanding in family dynamics, having worked with community and charity organisations, as well as being trained in coaching and therapeutic skills and trauma awareness. She has worked at the cutting edge of complex relationship issues and has worked with divorcing couples, father, mothers, children and social care providers around these issues.
Helen is sensitive to the needs of clients, placing their interests first in the most practicable way possible while being conscious of the complexities of the law. She has been trained in negotiation skills.
She is able to act at each stage, including First Hearing Dispute Resolution Appointments, directions hearings, final hearings and matters of appeal (including costs appeals).
Housing and Social Welfare
Helen has experience in dealing with possession, mortgage repossession, and housing disrepair, representing both landlords and tenants.
She has acted on behalf of both Claimants and Defendants. Her awareness of commercial matters mean that she can appreciate the organisational interests of landlords and creditors and advocate robustly for these. Her experience working with people in a community context and her excellent interpersonal skills mean that she also works well with tenants and debtors, often going above and beyond to improve their experience of litigation in times of high stress.
Landlord and Tenant
Helen has experience in dealing with possession, mortgage repossession, and housing disrepair, representing both landlords and tenants.
She has acted on behalf of both Claimants and Defendants. Her awareness of commercial matters mean that she can appreciate the organisational interests of landlords and creditors and advocate robustly for these. Her experience working with people in a community context and her excellent interpersonal skills mean that she also works well with tenants and debtors, often going above and beyond to improve their experience of litigation in times of high stress.
Personal Injury
- Acting for claimants and defendants in road traffic, occupational liability, nuisance, and workplace claims
- Advising on liability and quantum in fast-track and multi-track cases, including those involving medical evidence
- Drafting pleadings, schedules of loss, and advising on expert evidence
- Representing at case management hearings, interim applications and trials
Regulatory
- Representing professionals before disciplinary panels and tribunals
- Defending allegations of misconduct, incompetence, or fitness-to-practice concerns
What sort of work do I do?
Civil - Helen is an experience civil litigator and has experience across a wide range of civil disputes including the following areas:
Business and commercial law
Breach of contract
Bankruptcy and Insolvency
Road Traffic Accidents
Quantum disputes
Personal Injury
Credit Hire
Consumer Credit Act claims
Breach of Contract
Recovery of debt
Helen has dealt with all manner of hearings from interim applications, applications for strike out, case management as well as conducting trials. She successfully represented both Claimants and Defendants in county courts across England.
Family - particular experience in child arrangements and matrimonial divorce and financial settlements. Helen has a nuanced understanding of family dynamics.
Housing - possession, housing disrepair
Employment
Regulatory, administrative and public law - particularly welcoming instructions challenging local authority decisions and on regulatory investigations and disciplinary matters
Education - including a particular specialism in academic appeals and fitness to practice
Commercial - Contractual disputes, bankruptcy, insolvency & liquidation, credit agreements and credit hire, commercial debt claims
Who do I work for?
Helen will take instructions directly from clients on a Direct Access basis or from Solicitors. Clients are usually members of the public, public authorities, membership bodies, students and professionals (Doctors, Lawyers, Accountants etc).