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Helen Hirst

Senior Associate

What can I do for you

Helen is a solicitor advising charities and the not for profit sector. She advises on governance, charity registrations, mergers, collaborations and commercial matters.

Helen works with a variety of charities, including a number in the education and health sectors.

Supporting your ambitions

Helen takes a pragmatic approach in the advice she provides and aims to find the most straightforward solution for clients.

What do others say

“Helen was very efficient and studious, respectful and she was caring.” - Chambers and Partners 2026

"Helen is extremely skilled and has a superb knowledge of her area. She is also warm, down to earth, approachable and supportive." - Chambers and Partners 2024

"Helen has the ability to explain complicated issues in a way that it is easy to understand." - Chambers and Partners 2024

What else should you know

Helen trained in-house as a solicitor in local government. She continued as a solicitor in local government post-qualification, advising on a variety of public sector projects. Helen then moved to private practice where she initially advised schools becoming academies before specialising in advising charities.

Helen is a volunteer with The Scout Association and this year braved camping in January.

What our clients say about us

  • I think Mills & Reeve are a wonderful firm. The support they have provided to us in a really difficult area has been brilliant, collaborative and commercially minded. The team were absolutely wonderful and a joy to work with. Amazing advice and support and a real collaborative effort with us. I can't thank them enough for getting us through some really tough times and doing so with an amazing can-do attitude.
  • They are friendly, fast, always available and always on top of the game. I tend to judge my legal team against the other side's legal team and never doubt Mills & Reeve is the better of the two.
  • All interactions have been very clear. Responses to questions have always been very swift and unambiguous. Our company, and my family, have used various services in Mills & Reeve with the same level of satisfaction.
  • I value the fact that Mills & Reeve are recognised as a good place to work in the UK Best Companies survey. This aligns with the values of our business and means that Mills & Reeve can share what is required to achieve this status with our business.

As many clients will testify, too many lawyers deliver the required legal expertise but fail to deliver an outstanding client experience. Which is why we always listen to our clients and constantly ask ourselves what we can do to deliver the results you expect.

You expect a close and attentive working relationship, with a lawyer that is responsive and available when you need them. You also want clear, pragmatic and commercial advice tailored to your needs, and transparency and certainty on costs. We completely agree. That’s why every day, through our culture and approach we are committed to delivering the exceptional results and service our clients expect of us.

Related sectors and services

  • Charities and social enterprise
  • Charity law
  • Education
  • University financial resilience

Contact Helen