Eversheds Sutherland expands insurance team with London partner hire

Helen joins the firm from Canada Life Limited, where she spent more than eight years in senior in-house roles, including as Lead Counsel advising on insurance led corporate finance transactions. During her time at Canada Life, she worked at the centre of the insurer’s bulk annuities, reinsurance and capital activity, advising on a wide range of matters including pensions risk transfer transactions, funded reinsurance and longevity risk arrangements, insurance business transfers, and related investment and capital management structures.

Helen brings extensive experience advising on high value, complex and time critical transactions, frequently involving multiple stakeholders and detailed regulatory considerations. Her work has spanned the full lifecycle of major transactions, combining technical knowledge with a strong understanding of commercial and operational drivers.

Prior to moving in-house, Helen trained and qualified at another leading international law firm, where she became a senior associate in its financial institutions practice. In private practice, she advised insurers, reinsurers and pension schemes on a broad range of corporate and regulatory insurance matters, including pensions risk transfer and buy in transactions, reinsurance arrangements and insurance finance structures.

Based in London, Helen will work closely with colleagues across Eversheds Sutherland’s insurance & pensions groups.

Antony Walsh, Partner and International Head of Corporate at Eversheds Sutherland, added:

“This hire reflects our continued focus on building out our corporate finance and insurance offering. Helen’s background spans both private practice and in-house roles, giving her a strong understanding of how corporate finance, capital management and risk transfer interact in practice. She will be a key part of how we support clients navigating growth and restructuring in the insurance and pensions market.”

Martin Mankabady, Partner and Global Co-head of Insurance Group at Eversheds Sutherland, said:

“Helen brings a highly valued perspective from having operated at the heart of a major insurer, advising on transactions that demand clarity of judgement, technical expertise and a strong appreciation of commercial realities. We are delighted to welcome Helen as part of our continued investment in the insurance team. Helen’s arrival aligns with significant growth across the pension de-risking market, which is expected to see transaction values reach £70bn per year in the UK, and reinforces our ability to support clients navigating increasingly sophisticated risk transfer and capital solutions.”

Helen Hallam, Partner at Eversheds Sutherland, said:

“I’m delighted to be joining Eversheds Sutherland, a firm I have enjoyed working closely with for many years. I have had such a warm welcome and am looking forward to building on the firm’s strong reputation in insurance and pensions. Having spent a number of years working in-house, I place real importance on practical advice that supports commercial outcomes. I’m really looking forward to working with colleagues across the firm to support clients in achieving their goals in a fast-moving and highly competitive market.”