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Gillian provides a very high level of service with very strong sophistication in combination with very strong commercial awareness and focus.

Chambers UK 2025
About

Gillian White is an experienced corporate solicitor who is committed to her clients and their commercial success. She is Head of the M&A team and takes the lead on corporate governance services at Howard Kennedy.

Gillian acts for entrepreneurial clients, larger companies and institutions looking to acquire or invest in entrepreneurial businesses. She approaches investments, mergers, joint ventures, company sales and purchases with common sense, risk awareness and creativity. 

Gillian provides clients with more than just corporate advice as she also understands intellectual property (IP) and commercial law. She works closely with Howard Kennedy's IP and Commercial team to offer innovative solutions and opportunities to clients.

She additionally collaborates with Howard Kennedy's Private Wealth team on helping clients with succession planning and family investment companies and dealing with valuable corporate assets that form part of marital assets or an estate.

Gillian provides corporate governance advice for large companies and significant family businesses. 

Her transactional experience means that she is adept at managing complex projects and drawing advice from multiple professional advisers and clients' commercial teams. Her corporate governance experience means that she is adept at uncovering and understanding competing stakeholder needs and providing pragmatic advice.

Recent work
  • Leading on the strategic acquisition by US manufacturing company of a UK software company.
  • Acting on the strategic disposal and acquisition of franchise brands (and businesses).
  • Leading on a substantial debt funded MBO.
  • Acting on private company, LLP and contractual profit share structures, including taking the lead on a €120m international merger of two leading leisure businesses.
  • Advising high net worth investors and investee companies (especially those in the leisure space) on significant strategic investment rounds.
  • Advising high net worth individuals on their Family Investment Company Structures.
  • Advising substantial family businesses on changes to their governance structures and succession planning.
  • Advising shareholders and stakeholders in circumstances of poor governance.
Accolades

  • Ranked Band 4, Corporate/M&A: £10-£100 million, Chambers UK 2025
  • "Gillian provides a very high level of service with very strong sophistication in combination with very strong commercial awareness and focus." Chambers UK 2025
  • "She is also good at balancing many different requirements and is solutions-focused." Chambers UK 2025
  • "Gillian is a trusted adviser who provides practical and commercial guidance." Chambers UK 2025
  • "She works tirelessly to solve issues as they arise and never gives anything less than 100% to what she does." Chambers UK 2025
  • Listed as Key Lawyer, Corporate and Commercial: M&A, Smaller Deals, £10-£100M, Legal 500 2025
  • "Gillian White's strategic acumen, common sense, and ability to find creative solutions set her apart from competitors. She just gets it and is our go to." Legal 500 2025
  • Listed as Key Lawyer, Corporate and Commercial: M&A, Smaller Deals, £10-£100M, Legal 500 2024
  • Listed as Key Lawyer, Corporate and Commercial: M&A, Smaller Deals, £10-£100M, Legal 500 2023
  • Listed as Key Lawyer, Corporate and Commercial: M&A, Smaller Deals Up to £50m, Legal 500 2022

Did you know
Gillian spent several years working in the fine art auction industry.
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