Recognition

In Chambers High Net Worth Helen is again ranked as a Star Individual. A fellow family lawyer says: “Helen is the ultimate tactician. We know how good she is. She is absolutely phenomenal. I am just constantly respectful and in awe of her enormous work ethic.” In Chambers High Net Worth Helen is described as “beyond compare”. She is recognised as having an “encyclopaedic knowledge of law and practice which beats all others.” Specialists in the field laud her as the “consummate professional”. Helen was named as one of just six ‘Star Individuals’ in Chambers High Net Worth guide. The guide said, “She knows everything. She’s very clever and capable, she does amazingly, she is a very talented person and a big character.”

Chambers UK names Helen as one of just five ‘Star Individuals’ in Family and Matrimonial in London. It describes Helen as “consistently held out as a ‘highly effective’ litigator whose handling of complex cases ensures her ongoing position at the top of the tree”, “a “keen strategist” and sources “admire her ability to outmanoeuvre her opponents”. Chambers 2021 says “She is phenomenal, and the appreciation from her clients for her immense skills is palpable.” “Helen has been an extraordinary phenomenon in family law for years.” A research respondent for Chambers states “She brings huge strategic wisdom from years of doing this job, which is a precious skill. She makes her clients feel like she has no other clients but them. She is a consummate professional and is beyond compare.” Chambers says “Helen Ward is widely recognised as one of the foremost family lawyers in London. She regularly acts on the most complex and high-value of divorce cases, including those with an international element. Interviewees acclaim her “incredible legal skills and determination,” while also noting that “her attention to detail is beyond limit.”

The Legal 500 named Helen in the Hall of Fame saying “Helen Ward is the standout family lawyer of her generation. In any contested family situation she must be on your client’s side.” Helen was previously named by Legal 500 as a ‘Leading Individual’ for many years. She has been described as “the first choice for the rich and famous” and “superb in every way”.

Helen has featured in the top five divorce lawyers in London by Tatler magazine. Helen’s attributes are summarised by a client who published the following description of her in Tatler: “Helen has a mind like a jewelled watch and a wise and honest heart – a very rare combination. She is a tigress who never sleeps.”

In Spear’s 500 2021 guide Helen is again listed in the ‘Top Flight’ where she is noted for her focus on high net worth cases. The guide says: “One of the top five individuals practising in this field, Ward is known for her high level of intellectual rigour, expertise and emotional intelligence.” Spear’s awarded Helen the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016. She is also listed in the Spear’s 500 Family Lawyers list. Lewis Marks QC previously said of Helen in an earlier publication: “Not merely one of the best, but the best family lawyer in London”. According to one peer she is revered for her discretion, forensic prowess and her “staggering amount of energy”.

Expertise

Helen approaches each case with meticulous attention, exercising commercial astuteness and formidable judgement, developed over years of experience of dealing with challenging matters. Her impressive talent for achieving successful settlements has earned her the respect of not just her clients but also of her peers.

Her reputation for protecting her clients’ interests and supporting her clients through the process of being divorced is second to none, and she does so with sensitivity and utmost discretion.

Helen also possesses experience derived from the judicial role she held for many years as a deputy district Judge sitting in what is now known as the Central Family Court.

The legal directories describe Helen as “continuing to top the lists of senior legal practitioners as an absolutely fantastic expert in complex multimillion pound ancillary relief matters … No stranger to discrete settlements, nor shy of a tough fight” and “undoubtedly one of the most significant divorce personalities in the country” with an “outstanding ability to reach settlements and to advise pragmatically”.

Helen acted for the husband in the case of Pierburg v Pierburg [2019] EWFC 24 in his successful challenge to the jurisdiction of the English court to entertain the divorce petition issued in London by his wife, a German citizen living in Switzerland. It was a clear case, as characterised by the media at the time, of “divorce tourism”, more commonly known to divorce practitioners as “forum shopping”. Read more here.

Helen represented the husband in a high-profile case regarding a conflict of forum, resulting in the husband successfully resisting a divorce taking place in England and Wales and instead securing its process through the Swiss Court. The judgment of Mr Justice Moor has been reported, you can view it here.

Career

Helen joined Stewarts in October 2012 before which she was a partner in the family department at Manches LLP.

Accreditations and Memberships

• Fellow of the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers
• Former Deputy District Judge at the Central Family Court