Laura McKnight
Managing Director
Laura is the Managing Director of Macdonald Henderson and a Director in the Corporate Team.
Having joined the firm in 2015, Laura has played a central role in its growth and development over the past decade. Appointed Managing Director in September 2026, she leads the firm’s strategic direction and continued growth, building on a long-standing involvement in a number of the firm’s most significant initiatives, including the firm’s rebrand in 2022, the acquisitions of Blaney Carnan and Ferguson Whyte in 2024, and the relocation to its new Glasgow city centre office in 2026.
Alongside her leadership role, Laura advises entrepreneurs, owner-managed businesses, investors and corporate groups on a wide range of corporate matters.
Her practice covers mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture capital investments, management buyouts, corporate restructurings, shareholder arrangements and general corporate governance. Laura has extensive experience acting on both domestic and cross-border transactions, guiding clients through every stage of the deal process from initial structuring and negotiations through to completion and post-completion integration.
Having led many of the firm’s largest and most complex transactions, Laura has established herself as one of Scotland’s leading corporate dealmakers. Clients value her commercial judgement, attention to detail and ability to guide transactions to a successful conclusion while remaining focused on their wider strategic objectives.
Among colleagues and clients alike, Laura is known for her meticulous approach, extensive legal knowledge and ability to provide clear, practical advice.
In addition to her corporate practice, Laura has particular expertise in the employment aspects of corporate transactions, including TUPE and the employment law implications of business acquisitions, disposals and restructurings.
Laura is a Legal 500 Recommended Lawyer and was recognised as one of Scotland’s Top 25 Women in Law. She is also committed to developing the next generation of corporate lawyers and dealmakers, mentoring and supporting colleagues across the firm.
Transaction Highlights
- Advising Turnkey IPS, the leading provider of software solutions to the insolvency industry, on an investment by Bowmark Capital, the mid-market private equity firm, partnering with the founding family to support the next stage of the company’s development;
- Acting for the shareholders of an award winning provider of residential care in Scotland, in respect of (i) a complex restructure of the group and (ii) completion of an eight figure investment by a leading UK/European impact fund advisory firm; and
- Advising Juniper Group, part of Vela Software and Constellation Software Inc, the TSX-listed publicly traded global software company on the acquisition of Traveltek, the travel technology solutions provider.
Testimonials
“We are delighted with the outcome which has been reflective of the hard-work and advice from Laura McKnight and the team at Macdonald Henderson. It has been a pleasure working with Macdonald Henderson as they steered us through this transaction”.
– Mr Arthur Shevill, Founder of Arvill
“The support we’ve had from Macdonald Henderson and Laura McKnight throughout this has been second to none. Laura has guided us through the process from start to finish to ensure we correctly represent the business and conducted this in the same professional manner we’ve undertaken throughout the course of running the business. Laura was always on hand before, during and after the due diligence process to ensure our interests were correctly represented, to explain any complex components and ultimately keep us motoring along efficiently to the successful completion of the deal. It has been a great help to have someone as experienced in our corner, as it’s not a transaction process we’d done before so the level of professional expertise, care and attention to detail applied to our engagement gave everyone the comfort that we were in good hands and making the best decisions”
– Ping Network Solutions Limited
“We would like to pass on our heartfelt thanks to Laura and the MH Team for their sterling work in completing the sale of our company. Their expertise and professionalism safely navigated the sale to completion and achieved a deal we were delighted with. Laura and the Team kept us informed at all stages of the transaction, fully explaining corporate and legal terms in language we could understand. We would have no hesitation in recommending MH for corporate transactions.”
– Co-founders of Capital Payroll Services
