A Day in the Life of Jonathan Waters, Owner & Partner at Helix Law

No two days are ever quite the same as a Partner at Helix Law. From advising clients on complex disputes to supporting colleagues and helping shape the future direction of the business, the role combines legal expertise, commercial thinking and leadership.

I'm an early riser, so my day starts at about 7:30. I begin by reviewing emails and checking developments across active matters. I generally work through to about 5:30.

There are always updates or new instructions waiting first thing in the morning. I review priorities for the day and identify any urgent client issues that need immediate attention.

No two days are the same, I could be in court, meeting clients, meeting with colleagues, working on legal arguments or networking.

As situations evolve in cases and in the business, I need to be highly flexible and juggle priorities. Sometimes, priorities can change later in the day.

Most of the day is spent on emails, reading and drafting letters, pleadings and witness statements.

One of the most rewarding aspects of being a Partner is working closely with colleagues across the entire business.

Our team works flexibly across different locations, so much of this collaboration happens through Teams, our tasking software and quick calls throughout the day. It's important that everyone stays connected and supported, regardless of where they're working.

Nearly everything is online these days, including many court hearings. A litigator must be a good at understanding complex problems and then being able to communicate their ideas. The work includes:

• Strategy meetings with clients (mainly via Teams)
• Reviewing key evidence and case developments
• Advising on settlement opportunities
• Assessing litigation risk
• Working with counsel and other professionals
• Supporting clients through important commercial decisions

Much of my role is helping clients look beyond the legal position and consider the commercial realities of a dispute. Sometimes the right answer isn't necessarily the most aggressive legal approach; it's finding the strategy that best supports the client's wider objectives.

One of the things I enjoy most about litigation is that every matter presents a different challenge.

The flexibility of working at Helix means no two lunches are quite the same. We encourage people to look after their health as the job is demanding.

Some days I'm catching up with colleagues in Brighton, while other days I may be meeting contacts, networking or simply taking the opportunity to reset before the afternoon. If I'm in the office, I'll often head to the gym or sauna for a quick break before getting back to work.

Our office is in a really busy part of Brighton packed with restaurants and shops. Sometimes people eat at their desks but they also find time to go to lunch with their colleagues.

Being a Partner involves more than legal work alone.

Part of the role involves developing relationships, supporting existing clients and identifying new opportunities to help businesses manage disputes and legal risk more effectively.

As a growing business, Helix encourages entrepreneurial thinking and values people who are prepared to contribute ideas that help improve the way we work and serve our clients.

As an owner of the business, part of my focus is also on where Helix will be in three, five or even ten years' time. Whether that's investing in technology, developing our people or improving our processes, we're always looking at ways to evolve and improve.

A significant part of my role involves developing others.

Whether reviewing work, discussing strategy, mentoring colleagues or helping someone work through a challenging issue, supporting the next generation of lawyers is an important and rewarding part of the role.

One of the most rewarding aspects of my role is seeing people join the business at the start of their careers and develop into confident lawyers and professionals. Watching individuals take on greater responsibility and progress through the firm is something I'm particularly proud of.

A lot of people assume a law firm only focuses on legal work, but innovation is a huge part of life at Helix. We adopted Harvey only a year after it was first launched.

We regularly review how we can improve the way we work, whether that's through technology, automation, AI tools or better processes. As a business, we're always looking for ways to deliver a better experience for both our clients and our team.

It's one of the things that keeps the role interesting because we're constantly evolving rather than doing things simply because they've always been done that way.

A good example is our use of text expansion software. We often find ourselves using the same wording, clauses or procedural text multiple times each day. Instead of retyping it, we can use a simple shortcut to generate an entire section instantly.

It's not the most glamorous technology we use, but it's one of the most effective. We estimate it saves the equivalent of around two working days every week across the business. Those are two days that can be spent helping clients, developing our people or improving the way we work rather than carrying out repetitive tasks.

I enjoy identifying opportunities like this because lots of small gains can make a huge difference when they're applied consistently across a growing business.

What stands out most about Helix is the culture.

We combine high-quality litigation work with a modern and commercial approach. People are trusted to take responsibility, contribute ideas and focus on delivering results for clients.

We're ambitious, entrepreneurial and always looking for better ways of doing things.

There's very little hierarchy for hierarchy's sake. Good ideas can come from anyone in the business, and people are encouraged to challenge traditional ways of working if there's a better solution available.

In addition to a high base salary our lawyers are paid on financial performance. This means your compensation is not capped by the subjective opinion of someone else.

If you're considering a career at Helix:

• Be curious and commercially minded
• Show initiative and willingness to learn
• Demonstrate your skills through real examples
• Be prepared to take responsibility
• Don't be afraid to let your personality come through

If you can demonstrate commercial awareness, a willingness to take responsibility and a genuine interest in helping clients solve problems, you'll already be off to a great start.

We're looking for talented people who want to make an impact, contribute to a growing business and build rewarding careers alongside a supportive and ambitious team.

At the centre of all this is what makes the job rewarding, and stressful, is that it is all about people and solving their problems.

Every day I learn something new.