Helen Lyne Partner

Helen Lyne is a Partner in the Dispute Resolution team at Swinburne Maddison, specialising in complex commercial disputes and business protection. She qualified as a solicitor in September 2012 after graduating with a First Class Honours in Law (LLB) from Northumbria University. Helen joined Swinburne Maddison to bolster the firm’s Commercial Litigation service and provide clients with proactive legal advice designed to prevent disputes and mitigate risks. She is dedicated to helping clients develop robust business strategies to protect their assets and ensure long-term success.

What sets Helen apart is her holistic approach to legal challenges. Rather than just addressing issues when they arise, she works with clients to anticipate risks and implement preventative measures. She has a keen understanding of both the legal and commercial aspects of business, ensuring that clients’ needs are met with practical and tailored solutions. Helen’s clients come from a range of sectors, including manufacturing, healthcare, construction, and digital technology, and she works closely with them to navigate legal challenges from early-stage litigation to mediation and court proceedings.

Helen is driven by her passion for delivering the best outcomes for her clients, and she focuses on building long-lasting relationships with businesses looking to safeguard their interests. She values honesty, integrity, and a proactive approach to problem-solving.

• Contractual Disputes
• Insolvency
• Data Theft and Enforcement of Post-Termination Restrictive Covenants
• Professional Negligence
• Business Owner Disputes.

Helen has extensive experience in commercial litigation, insolvency, and business protection. Over the years, she has successfully guided clients through complex legal challenges, including defending data theft claims, securing substantial settlements in contractual disputes, and navigating shareholder disputes. Her work extends beyond resolving disputes; she actively helps clients implement risk management strategies and secure their assets.

In her day-to-day work, Helen manages high-profile cases, often involving professional negligence claims, injunctions related to data theft, and enforcing post-termination restrictive covenants. She also collaborates closely with insolvency practitioners, handling cases that involve the recovery of assets, director misfeasance and defending claims from insolvency practitioners. Helen is known for her tenacity and focus on achieving the best possible outcomes, whether that involves reaching settlements or going to trial.

Helen’s career highlights include:

• Defending proceedings in a multi-million-pound claim for data theft and breach of confidential information in the utilities industry.
• Successfully negotiating and recovering substantial damages in a complex contractual dispute with a local authority and care provider, avoiding litigation.
• Settling a shareholder dispute involving claims of unfair prejudice, breach of restrictive covenants, and intellectual property rights following the exit of a founding director and shareholder. Helen successfully challenged the validity of a registered intellectual property right, securing a notable full and final settlement.
• Securing a substantial settlement for a food manufacturer forced to recall products due to a supplier’s failure to comply with food safety regulations

Helen’s expertise spans a wide range of industries, and she works with clients of all sizes—from SMEs to multinational corporations. Whether it’s navigating a shareholder dispute, defending against claims of data theft, or providing strategic advice on asset protection, Helen is committed to delivering the best legal solutions for her clients.

Helen is a Trustee of The Teesside Charity, an organisation supporting regional causes to help bridge the socio-economic gap.

Helen also provides regular talks on litigation avoidance, business protection, and growth strategies.