Helen Russell

Lead HR Consultant and Solicitor

Employment & HR

t: 01772 395013 m: 07880 507435 e: [email protected]

Helen has over 25 years’ experience in people management, having spent 15 years working in HR teams for a variety of organisations and sectors, followed by 10 years working alongside the team of employment solicitors at Harrison Drury.

Helen attended the University of Central Lancashire where she graduated with a BA (Hons) in Management with Law and in 2005 she completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Personnel & Development at the University of Northampton. She is also a Chartered Fellow of CIPD and a qualified solicitor.

She provides comprehensive employment advice using an effective combination of human resources practice complemented by a detailed knowledge of the legal framework. In addition, she is supported by other specialist lawyers with whom she can seamlessly engage when necessary, maximising efficiency and driving value for money for clients.

Her dual HR and legal qualifications mean she can help with effective management of isolated employment issues and also the broader diagnoses of wider organisational issues, leading to identification of effective solutions. This means she can effectively manage the issues at hand and enable clients to take practical steps to prevent recurrence or development of problems.

Helen uses a legally sound, ‘hands-on’, collaborative working style with clients on HR matters where she develops a deep, commercial working knowledge of their business, adding value and depth to the tailored advice she provides. Additionally, Helen transfers knowledge and skills to clients through her HR advice, coaching them about how difficult subjects might be broached, and challenging issues dealt with, as well as providing tactics to maintain employee relations. As a result, she builds clients’ in-house confidence and capability to deal with their HR matters themselves, driving further value for clients in the long-term.

She works with businesses of all shapes and sizes to provide a wide range of human resources advice including routine HR matters such as general conduct. In addition she acts with delegated authority to manage disciplinaries and grievances, as well as undertaking strategic projects (such as restructures), delivering bespoke and effective training and resolving employment repercussions from director and shareholder issues.

Having a background in administration and process management Helen also delivers strong project management, using organisational and data analysis to inform objective, evidence-based decisions for managers and business owners, helping to ensure their business is compliant with employment legislation.

Helen also supports senior individuals, providing support when they find themselves subject to an unfamiliar and often stressful employment process.

Helen’s notable matters include:

design of project plans to enable clients to undertake complex organisational re-design. The comprehensive advice includes legal requirements, employment relations considerations, practical task breakdowns and detailed instruction to conduct briefings and meetings;
working with the Employment team to enhance the offering to HD clients through tailored training design and delivery which is enhanced by many years of practical experience;
assisting clients to identify organisational initiatives to improve their attraction, retention and motivation initiatives, helping organisations to train and retain effective teams;
providing extensive support to HR Manager clients who may have no support in their own organisations, and who are keen to develop their own legal understanding (thus assisting with people development / career progression / engagement for clients too);
management of employment aspects of shareholder disputes; and
initiation and navigation of settlement discussions.

Outside of work you can find me…

Outside of work, Helen enjoys many different activities.

Ranked by Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500

Harrison Drury is ranked by both Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500, two leading independent guides to the UK’s top legal firms and solicitors.

These guides highlight the solicitors who are providing the most cutting-edge and innovative advice to clients and we are ranked across our range of practice areas and people.