“We really do it differently”: Helen Miles reflects on five years at gunnercooke 

 
Helen Miles, Pensions Partner, recently marked her five-year anniversary at gunnercooke. Over that time, she’s built a flourishing practice, reconnected with long-standing clients, and taken on influential roles in both the legal and education sectors. 

Helen reflects on her journey with the firm, how gunnercooke has supported her growth, the freedom it’s given her to shape her practice, and the rewarding client relationships that continue to drive her work. 

What has been your favourite memory from the last five years?  

“There’s a lot of great memories from the last five years, but I think my favourite one was last year’s gunnercooke Symposium. There was so much energy in all the sessions, but particularly when I got the mic for some serious solo singing with the gunnercooke choir.” 

How has gunnercooke changed since you started? 

“There’s been a lot of changes at gunnercooke since I started five years ago. It’s certainly bigger, it’s slicker and it’s more ambitious, but it really hasn’t lost that heart and soul of the people and the ethos of the firm.” 

How has the gunnercooke model benefited you and your clients?  

“When I first joined the firm, one of my longstanding clients said to me, quite frankly: ‘I hadn’t heard of gunnercooke, but I went and checked them out and thought, gosh, that’s absolutely Helen. That really is how she worked’. 

“That client is still with me. They wanted advice from a trusted, highly experienced partner tailored to their needs. It’s really helped my clients to return to a law firm where they can have that direct advisory relationship with me but still benefiting from the big firm service and the big team experience that we have. Plus, they do like the transparency of pricing.” 

Has gunnercooke brought any unexpected opportunities or new connections?  

“Well, what’s been quite unexpected is just how positive some longstanding contacts and new connections have been about the platform that we have for giving bespoke legal advice. 

“You know, some people have come back to me after almost 20 years. They really see me being able to deliver advice direct now with the kind of support that they want. But that’s been quite surprising to me. People don’t forget you like you might think they might do.” 

What are your ambitions for your practice over the next five years? 

“I’m very much a pensions lawyer at gunnercooke. I think for our practice in the next five years, we’re going to see some huge changes to the legislation affecting our pension scheme clients and the employers that support them. Those are longstanding commitments. I think it will be very much a case of employing my many years of experience and the experience of my colleagues to really take the past with us and build on it for the future of our industry. There’s a lot of complex change coming.” 

How has gunnercooke changed you as a lawyer? 

“At gunnercooke I’ve been free to develop my practice with quite an agile and adaptable approach. So many of my clients have been seeking more hands-on project management type support, that’s underlaid with legal advice, but not necessarily entirely legal advice. 

“I’ve been able to investigate and act in new areas for my industry, such as ‘superfund’ transactions, without the constraints of in-house positions or additional needs that you do sometimes get from large law firms that can impact on how you service your clients in a cost-effective way.” 

What’s your biggest motivation? 

“My biggest motivation is genuinely just enjoying what I do every day and doing that with great support, with great colleagues and with great clients. I have all of those here at gunnercooke.” 

Which clients or matter are you most proud of? 

“My clients know that I’m really proud of them, whether they’re a small million-pound pension scheme or one that’s worth over £20 billion. 

“I think my proudest boast would be that I’m about to conclude working with a pension scheme that’s winding up its trust after 31 years. And I’ve been their lawyer for 29 of those years.” 

Have you had any unusual jobs before becoming a lawyer? 

“I didn’t have any unusual jobs before I became a lawyer, but I think what is interesting is the jobs I’ve been able to do and great roles I’ve been able to take up whilst I’ve been a gunnercooke lawyer. 

“I’ve just concluded six years as Chair of the NHS Pensions Board for England and Wales. I’ve also been able to support my interest in education by becoming a governor at Birmingham Metropolitan College, a large FE college in the West Midlands. I’m Vice Chair of Governors at the Royal National College for the Blind, a SEND college for the visually impaired, and I’m about to join the Council of the University of Nottingham, which is where I did my law degree.” 

How is the gunnercooke model beneficial to legal professionals? 

“People ask me, what’s the benefit of being a gunnercooke lawyer? And I say it’s easy. I don’t mean that it’s simple. I mean, there’s a lot of ease in what you do. 

“You still have to work hard, but you set your own motivations and aims. So, when there are long hours or big projects, it’s clear that you know why you’re doing that. You have financial clarity and transparency in how you manage your own business and that aligns well with our clients. It really gives us back control as to how we deliver service and run our lives.” 

What advice would you give to someone thinking about joining gunnercooke? 

“If somebody asked me whether they should give it a go, I would say, well, yes, if you know that you can either work better or even advise better, but you have frustrations in a typical law firm, then come and talk to gunnercooke. We really do it differently.” 

Want to learn more about Helen and her work? Click here.