Deputy Head of Clerking
Practice Manager
Assistant Practice Manager
Helen has an established reputation as a well-respected Commercial and Chancery practitioner with an emphasis on property and trusts related issues. She is flexible and practical in approach and focuses on obtaining a commercially acceptable result for her clients. Clients comment “Helen delivers no-nonsense advice and takes a practical approach to resolving matters” and that “she isn’t just technically brilliant; she also understands how to handle clients sensitively and carefully.”
She has built up extensive and wide-ranging expertise in both non contentious and contentious property matters ranging from small scale cases to multi-million-pound developments. Helen has experience in leasehold enfranchisement cases, lease renewals under Part II of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 and restrictive covenant issues. Helen has also acted in a wide range of commercial and business disputes in sectors as diverse as travel, hotels, hire purchase, the media, entertainment, IPR, IT and e-commerce.
Contentious and non-contentious trusts matters, both on and offshore, are a regular feature of her case load. Her busy practice includes regular court appearances with clients commenting “she is superb in court”. Helen drafts trust deeds and associated documentation and wills. She is frequently involved in disputes relating to Wills and succession generally including claims under The Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependents) Act 1975, challenges to the validity of Wills, Estoppel claims etc. She has frequently appeared in Court of Protection cases and was the first to obtain on behalf of her client an order for costs against the Office of the Public Guardian
Helen is a member of STEP, ACTAPS, the Chancery Bar Association and IAL as well as being an accredited mediator.
Helen has acted in a wide range of commercial litigation including contract related disputes. Her experience includes the following:
Helen Galley’s experience of company law is extensive and includes company schemes of arrangement and reduction of capital including the drafting of relevant documentation; drafting articles of association and shareholders’ agreements; derivative actions by minority shareholders; numerous joint venture cases; reductions in capital and share premium account in relation to major group companies and advice re Money Laundering Regulations.
Her experience includes:
Helen has also advised and acted generally in relation to numerous partnership disputes from small commercial partnerships to much larger professional partnerships. Examples are as follows:
Helen has acted in numerous cases in the Court of Protection including applications for statutory wills; deputyship disputes including revocation of the appointment of a panel deputy; the discharge of an interim deputy; and the revocation of a Lasting Power of Attorney for Property and Affairs.
She is experienced in cases involving the assessment of capacity to make gifts. She also has experience of an application for an exceptional order for costs against the OPG after a failed application for revocation of an LPA where offers of settlement were made and rejected by the OPG.
She acted In the Matter of JBN [2019] EWCOP 62: successfully obtaining a costs order against the Public Guardian, the first case of its kind.
Acting on behalf settlor/beneficiary of Jersey trust in claim against trustees, investment managers and find manager relating to losses incurred in investment in failed Hedge Fund involving allegations of breaches of fiduciary duty, secret profits etc. Settled before trial with substantial payment in favour of settlor/beneficiary.
Helen has experience in both corporate and personal insolvency matters together with company administrations and reorganisations involving reductions in capital and share premium accounts (referred to under Company law). She has dealt with many applications for the disqualification of directors following the insolvency of the company on the instructions of both the Secretary of State and of directors.
Examples of her experience are as follows:
Helen has acted in many claims against professionals arising out of transactions in the main areas of her practice including conveyancing, landlord and tenant, real property generally and trusts and estates.
Including:
“A formidable advocate who knows the law inside out” and “a specialist in her field” ’Helen is a real estate specialist, and a substantial proportion of her practice is property related. Ranked in the leading legal directories, clients comment “Helen delivers no-nonsense advice and takes a practical approach to resolving matters.”
Helen has extensive expertise in both contentious and non-contentious issues ranging from small scale residential disputes to multi-million-pound commercial developments including:
Notable experience includes:
Helen’s experience includes:
Important cases and advice have included:
Helen Galley has wide experience in trust issues, including contentious and non-contentious matters both onshore and offshore. Ranked Band 1 in Chambers and Partners clients comment “Helen isn’t just technically brilliant; she also understands how to handle clients sensitively and carefully. She is superb in court.”
Helen advises in relation and drafts trust deeds, deeds of appointment, deeds of advancement etc. She has provided advice on trusts in relation to succession planning, change of trust structures, division of assets and vesting orders.
Helen has acted and advised in many trust disputes including:
Her experience includes:
Helen has acted in many contentious and non-contentious probate cases. She has extensive experience of claims pursuant to the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975. She also drafts trusts deeds and ancillary documentation, wills and post-death deeds of variation for Inheritance Tax planning purposes.
Her experience includes:
Trusts
Chambers and Partners
‘Helen Galley is an experienced trusts and private client senior junior, with a wide-ranging caseload including contentious and non-contentious work, both onshore and offshore.’ ‘Very good, very responsive and someone whose written work is sound. ’She is very robust and a tough negotiator.’ ‘Helen isn’t just technically brilliant; she also understands how to handle clients sensitively and carefully. She is superb in court.’ (2025)
Chancery: Traditional
Chambers and Partners
‘A very practical, no-nonsense barrister who is always on top of the material.‘ (2022)
‘Very detail-oriented.’ (2021)
‘Property crossover is a real strength,’ ‘She’s a very practical lawyer who cuts straight to the issues.’ ‘She’s very good when it comes to advising on ambiguous clauses in wills and trusts.’(2021)
‘She is the eyes and ears of her silks, and performed exceptionally well in a very difficult case. She’s very efficient, and an absolute delight to work with’. ‘She’s very client-friendly; she was absolutely excellent at maintaining a stance where we could all work together’. (2020 – High Net Worth)
Company & Partnership
Chambers and Partners
‘Quick-witted and sensible, she takes a pragmatic approach in order to drive forward a settlement or reach a satisfactory conclusion.’ (2023)
‘Client-friendly, focused and extremely good at cutting through the complexities of a case. She’s straight-talking and a delight to work with on complex claims.’ (2022)
‘A real grafter who turns papers round quickly.’ ‘In court she stands firm and sticks to her guns.’ (2021)
Legal 500
Ranked a Leading Junior. (2025)
‘Commercial and sensible counsel. Specialist in difficult and technical areas and great bedside manner. Fearless in court and calm and persuasive manner.’ (2023)
‘Determined and knowledgeable’. (2022)
‘Approaches cases very sympathetically, but also in a pragmatic and no-nonsense way.’ (2021)
Professional Negligence
Legal 500
Ranked as a Leading Junior (2025, 2023)
‘She is exceptional.’ (2021)
Property Litigation
Chambers and Partners
‘Helen Galley of XXIV Old Buildings has an established practice in real estate with significant experience in residential and commercial matters. She has expertise in dealing with a wide range of contentious and non-contentious issues, including ownership disputes and development matters.’ ‘Helen delivers no-nonsense advice and takes a practical approach to resolving matters.’ (2025)
‘Helen Galley is very experienced and is able to have the tough conversations with clients, particularly when they need to know the hard truths.’ ‘Helen is a safe pair of hands.’ (2023)
Legal 500
‘She is a formidable advocate who know the law inside out. A specialist in her field.’ (2025)
‘Helen adopts a very pragmatic and commercial approach, cutting through the issues to recommend a way forward.’ (2023)
‘She has an abundance of common sense, gets on well with her clients, is forthright and is speedy with her written work.’ (2021)
Private Client: Trusts & Probate
Legal 500
‘Helen is a tough negotiator and very good at translating complex legal concepts into client-friendly language.’ (2025)
‘Helen is very quick to deal with instructions but is also thorough.’ (2023)
‘Helen is very knowledgeable, calm and exceptionally good with clients. She is a very good advocate and will represent the client’s best interests at all times but will not shy away from giving the client firm and sometimes unwelcome advice.’ (2022)
‘Straight to the point, very good with clients, fast turnaround with work.’ (2021)
She was a major contributor to the 2001/2002 reissues of volumes 40(1) and 40(2) of the Encyclopaedia of Forms and Precedent – Trusts and Settlements which were substantially rewritten to take account of the Trustee Act 2000 and other recent legislation.
Co-author of Chambers of Blackstone’s Guide to the Companies Act 2006