We are pleased to announce that Helen Williams has been promoted to a Partner at Porter Dodson. Having joined the firm in 2021, Helen has brought with her a wealth of experience and will continue to help grow the Property Litigation team, as well as strengthening the firm’s presence and profile across Somerset and Dorset. 

Helen has taken the time to answer some questions about her experience and her contributions to the firm:  

Helen, congratulations on the promotion! Could you give us a brief rundown of your experience in the legal profession?  

Yes, I qualified as a solicitor in 2005, having studied at Exeter University and completed my training contract therewith a large regional firm. I continued working in Exeter until 2011 when I moved to Somerset.  I am now based in Porter Dodson’s Yeovil office.  

And what made you decide to specialise in Property Litigation? 

When I was doing my training, I worked with a great Partner in the firm I was working at who was also a Property Litigation specialist. The opportunity came up to work with him in this very specialist area which I pursued, and I enjoy nurturing my experience in a specific area in order to offer expert advice to clients. 

What is your style when it comes to dealing with clients? 

The priority for me is finding out what my clients want to achieve, and from there I am always keen to manage expectations from the outset. This is essential in providing the best possible client care, and I think it’s important to always be realistic, commercial and transparent.  

I am a keen sportswoman, and so I do have a competitive nature. I like to think strategically; to create a roadmap on a case, and always try to anticipate my opponent’s next move, always conscious of my client’s ultimate goals.  

What are you excited about in your new role as Partner? 

I have always been interested in management and strategy - I like to develop new ideas and want to do by bit to continue contributing to the growth of the company.  

In terms of the team, we have so much great talent across the firm, and I want to make sure I can help to nurture that, at all levels. I will also continue to be involved with office life in Taunton and Yeovil and make use of the systems that we are using now to improve integration between different teams.  

And what about outside of work, what do you do with your spare time? 

I really enjoy sports; I play for Somerton Tennis Club and enjoy water sports, especially sailing and paddleboarding.  

I also play golf and am looking forward to playing in the semi-finals of the Milsted Langdon golf tournament with my colleague Chris Green at the end of the summer. I am now getting my son involved with that too which is very exciting! 

And finally… 

Dorchester Literary Festival is coming up and PD are supporting the event. Can you think of any books that you have read which have changed the way you work/ your perception of the world/ your life?! 

Heads You Win by Jeffrey Archer. It’s a really interesting story about a man brought up in Russia; and in 1968 when he is trying to leave the country, he has the option to get on one of two ships; one going to America and the other going to the UK. As such the story follows 2 parallel outcomes and explores how different his life would have been had he chosen one or the other.  

I remember standing in my kitchen with identical University offers for two very different environments and  feeling so torn between the two options. Going to Exeter has steered my life’s path both professionally and personally, and has influenced my decisions so much, so I sometimes wonder what would have happened if I had accepted the offer to study elsewhere. The message in the book really resonates with me so will always be memorable.  

Get in Touch 

To find out more about Helen, and what she and her team can do for you click here to contact her.