L-R: Helen Bates, Nik White (Managing Partner at Brabners), and Jennifer Leah
Leading independent law firm Brabners [1] has continued the expansion of its Leeds office with the appointment of partners Jennifer Leah and Helen Bates.
The appointments deepen the firm’s specialist capabilities across property disputes and insolvency and restructuring, enhancing its support for landlords, occupiers, investors, businesses and individuals navigating complex legal and commercial challenges.
Jennifer joins from Eversheds Sutherland, where she spent more than a decade advising landlords, tenants, developers, investors and corporate occupiers on contentious real estate matters. Her practice covers complex landlord and tenant disputes, lease renewals, forfeiture, possession claims, tenant insolvencies and strategic asset management. She also specialises in telecommunications disputes arising under the Electronic Communications Code, acting for landowners and occupiers on a broad range of contentious telecoms matter.
Following seven years leading the Restructuring and Insolvency team in the Leeds office of Freeths, and over a decade at Clarion prior to that, Helen brings to Brabners more than 24 years’ experience in corporate and personal insolvency and restructuring. She advises a wide range of stakeholders, including insolvency practitioners, banks, lenders, creditors, debtors, companies, directors and individuals, both on contentious and non-contentious insolvency and restructuring matters. Highly regarded in the region and recognised as a Next Generation Partner by Legal 500, she is praised for her pragmatic approach, attention to detail and ability to always find a solution. Helen’s joining establishes a dedicated Insolvency & Restructuring (I&R) practice area in the Leeds office, marking the start of a growing team in the Yorkshire region.
Jennifer will work within Brabners’ Property Disputes & Litigation team, while Helen becomes part of the firm’s wider national I&R team. Both will be based in Leeds and support clients nationally. Helen will also continue to serve on the regional committees of R3 (the UK’s trade association for restructuring and insolvency professionals) and IWIRC (the International Women’s Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation), a global network supporting women working in the sector.
Jennifer and Helen are the latest senior hires to join Brabners in Leeds, following the recent appointments of real estate partners Susan Samuel and Matt Ramsden. Their arrival builds on the firm’s continued expansion in Yorkshire, while adding further expertise to two established national practices. Brabners’ multi-award-winning Real Estate Group was recently named Outstanding Legal Team of the Year at the Property Week Commercial Property Awards 2026.
Jennifer Leah, Property Disputes & Litigation Partner at Brabners, said: “I am delighted to have joined Brabners. The firm has an outstanding reputation, and I have been impressed by the strength of its Real Estate Group, its people and its commitment to client service.
“Property owners and occupiers face increasingly complex challenges, from managing high-value assets and responding to tenant distress to navigating the Electronic Communications Code. I look forward to helping clients address those issues while building on the firm’s success and further developing our property disputes and contentious telecommunications offering.”
Helen Bates, Insolvency & Restructuring Partner at Brabners, said: “Brabners is a successful firm with a clear purpose and ambitious strategy. Its growing presence in Leeds, combined with the strength of its national platform, made this an exciting opportunity for me.
“Businesses and individuals experiencing financial pressure need advisers who can combine technical expertise with practical, commercial judgment. The firm has an excellent insolvency and restructuring practice and a genuinely collaborative culture, and I look forward to supporting its continued growth across the region and nationally.”
Nik White, Managing Partner at Brabners, said: “Jennifer and Helen are excellent additions to our partnership and bring experience that will enhance two important areas of our business. Jennifer has an outstanding track record in complex property and telecommunications disputes, while Helen’s breadth of corporate and personal insolvency expertise and pragmatic, solutions-focused approach will be a real asset to our clients.
“Their appointments come at an exciting time for Brabners as we continue to build our national platform, invest in specialist expertise in Leeds and across Yorkshire and strengthen our client offering following the launch of our London office. Attracting Partners of Jennifer and Helen’s calibre reflects the strength of our culture, the ambition of our strategy and the quality of the opportunity we can offer to outstanding lawyers in the region and nationally.”
Their arrival comes amid a period of sustained momentum for Brabners, which opened its office at 4 Coleman Street in the heart of the City of London in May, marking its entry into the UK’s largest legal market from a position of strength and further amplifying its national reach and ability to serve clients operating across the UK and internationally.