J. Hillyer Jennings

Biography

A career that has taken him from LaGrange to New York, London and Atlanta has never diminished Hillyer’s connection to Georgia. A partner in the mergers and acquisitions practice at King & Spalding, Hillyer advises public and private companies, investors and private equity firms on complex transactions around the world, including multibillion-dollar mergers, acquisitions and strategic investments.

After graduating from the University of Georgia and Harvard Law School, he built his career at top international law firms in New York and London before returning home to Atlanta. Along the way, he became a fellow in the British-American Project, a transatlantic network for emerging leaders in the United States and United Kingdom.

Outside his legal practice, Hillyer is an entrepreneur, nonprofit founder and dedicated supporter of UGA. He has helped raise scholarship funds for students from Troup County, Georgia, founded organizations supporting children’s health care and community initiatives, and serves as a guest lecturer on mergers and acquisitions for Terry College. He credits UGA with providing the foundation that connected a small-town Georgia student to opportunities around the world.