Gerry heads the Charities Team at Rollits and brings together solicitors across other disciplines to provide commercially-minded and expert advice to serve charities with a wide range of legal needs including property and land transactions, purchases and leases, intellectual property and commercial contracts and employment law.
Gerry and her colleague, Harriet Wheeldon, both specialise exclusively in charity law and are members of The Charity Law Association. This ensures that the Charities Team has a genuine depth and understanding of charity law and how it impacts organisations’ operations.
Gerry has considerable experience of heading-up projects including academy conversions and bringing new academies into existing multi-academy trusts to ensure a joined-up, proactive and holistic approach.
She is passionate about the charity and voluntary sector and enjoys engaging with charity trustees and CEOs to help them to fully discharge their legal duties and to fulfil their organisation’s charitable purposes.
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"I have been a client for over 17 years, I worked with Gerry as I set about establishing a new Charity in East Hull from a Parent company. The team provided expert and highly competent legal advice whilst demystifying the Charity Commission for me. Leading a charity is demanding and can often be challenging, when I pick up the phone, I am always met with a professional, friendly approach which makes me feel like I am their priority."
Jane Stafford Hull University Student’s Union -
"Gerry Morrison demonstrated in-depth knowledge of and experience in the charity sector. She understood the issues we needed help addressing and this was maintained as we worked closely over a period of time with other members of the team."
The UK Legal 500, 2023 edition
Career
Gerry studied History at the University of Leeds, then completed the Post Graduate Diploma in Law and Legal Practice at the University of Law, York. Joining Rollits as a Trainee Solicitor in 2002, Gerry has specialised exclusively in charity law since her qualification in 2004.
Over the course of her career as a charity lawyer, she has worked with a wide variety of charities operating across many sectors including education, social housing, health and social care and community amateur sport and recreation.
Gerry was appointed as a Partner with the firm in 2013.
Trustee of the V K Rollit Charitable Trust.
Expertise
In respect of complex structural issues including incorporations, joint ventures and mergers, Gerry regularly provides trustee training to charity trustees and contributes to workshops and seminars to promote best practice in governance. She regularly liaises with The Charity Commission to secure consent for regulated changes to charities’ governing documents and to authorise dealings with charities’ permanent endowment property and for novel transactions.
Gerry is often asked to speak at Sector conferences including for the Almshouse Association, The Smile Foundation’s Trustee Academy and East Yorkshire Village Hall Network.
Professional memberships & accreditations
- Member of the Charity Law Association.