"Brendan is a star attorney and a trusted partner. He is very knowledgeable in the space and tackles issues with a balanced commercial approach that is highly valued by our team."
Chambers UK, Investment funds: Private Equity client
"Brendan is efficient, well-informed and hard-working. He uses his breadth of knowledge and experience to successfully accomplish workstreams on complex fundraisings."
Chambers UK, Investment funds: Private Equity client
"He is an exceptional adviser in every sense, smart, extraordinarily hard-working, committed to our success and a very engaging personal style that was very helpful."
Chambers UK, Investment funds: Private Equity client
"Brendan is an excellent business lawyer with commercial savvy."
Chambers UK, Investment funds: Private Equity client
"Brendan's technical and commercial command of the subject matter, his hands-on leadership, quality of advice, negotiation skills, commitment, timeliness, and communication style has been of exceptionally high quality."
Legal 500 UK, Investment fund formation and management: Private funds client
"Brendan Gallen possesses exceptional technical skills combined with strong soft skills. He manages complexities adeptly offering solutions that balance legal intricacies with commercial considerations."
Legal 500 UK, Investment fund formation and management: Private Funds client
"Brendan is always very responsive and is a very commercially-minded lawyer who knows his stuff."
Chambers UK, Investment funds: Private Equity client
"Brendan is a star attorney and a trusted partner. He is very knowledgeable in the space and tackles issues with a balanced commercial approach that is highly valued by our team."
Chambers UK, Investment funds: Private Equity client
"Brendan is efficient, well-informed and hard-working. He uses his breadth of knowledge and experience to successfully accomplish workstreams on complex fundraisings."
Chambers UK, Investment funds: Private Equity client
"He is an exceptional adviser in every sense, smart, extraordinarily hard-working, committed to our success and a very engaging personal style that was very helpful."
Chambers UK, Investment funds: Private Equity client
"Brendan is an excellent business lawyer with commercial savvy."
Chambers UK, Investment funds: Private Equity client
"Brendan's technical and commercial command of the subject matter, his hands-on leadership, quality of advice, negotiation skills, commitment, timeliness, and communication style has been of exceptionally high quality."
Legal 500 UK, Investment fund formation and management: Private funds client
"Brendan Gallen possesses exceptional technical skills combined with strong soft skills. He manages complexities adeptly offering solutions that balance legal intricacies with commercial considerations."
Legal 500 UK, Investment fund formation and management: Private Funds client
"Brendan is always very responsive and is a very commercially-minded lawyer who knows his stuff."
Chambers UK, Investment funds: Private Equity client
Brendan’s practice focuses on advising clients on the structuring, establishment, and operation of, and investment into, alternative investment funds across all major asset classes, including credit, private equity, infrastructure, and real estate. He also advises in relation to spin outs, secondary transactions, GP-led restructurings, managed accounts, carried interest, and other co-investment schemes.
Brendan is recognised as a Leading Partner in Private Funds by The Legal 500 and is praised by clients for his “exceptional technical skills combined with strong soft skills”, being “exceptionally hardworking and knowledgeable”, and “very thoughtful about creative ideas for solving problems”. For two years in a row, his team has helped secure the Best Law Firm – Overall award at the Hedgeweek and Private Equity Wire European Credit Awards.
Brendan has acted for clients such as AnaCap Financial Partners, Apax, Athene Capital, BlackRock, Bridgepoint, CVC, EQT, Goldman Sachs, Hg, iCON, Investcorp, Palamon Capital Partners, Patron Capital, Permira, Sona Asset Management, White Oak, 7Ridge, and 17Capital.
Recognitions
Listed as a "Leading Partner" in The Legal 500 UK for Investment Fund Formation and Management: Private Funds, 2025-2026
- Ranked in Chambers UK 2026 for Investment funds: Private Equity
Listed as a Rising Star Partner in IFLR1000 Global for UK Private Equity Funds, 2025
Credentials
Education
- BPP Law School, 2005, LPC
- BPP Law School, 2004, GDL
- University College Dublin, 2003, LL.M.
- City University of London, 2002, BSc. (Hons)
Professional admissions & qualifications
- England and Wales
News
- Reed Smith practices and lawyers recognized in Chambers Europe 2026(25 March 2026)
- 3 charts setting the stage for Europe’s PE fundraising in 2026(7 January 2026)
- How Gulf capital is reshaping global fund structures(December 2025)
- Reed Smith practices and lawyers earn top spots in Chambers UK 2026(16 October 2025)
- The Legal 500 UK endorses scores of Reed Smith lawyers, practices(2 October 2025)
- Reed Smith represents Nova Capital Management in its acquisition of Shakespeare Company LLC(17 June 2025)
- Reed Smith nominated for Fund Formation Law Firm in The Drawdown Awards 2025(24 March 2025)
- Reed Smith gets 6 Tier 1 practice rankings in Legal 500 UK(3 October 2024)
- Reed Smith earns seven Tier 1 rankings in strong performance in Legal 500 UK(5 October 2023)
Insights
- Global Legal Insights Fund Finance 2026(22 January 2026)
- Investing in Private Funds(10 December 2025)
- After probing fund managers’ approach to valuations, the FCA shifts its focus to conflicts more generally(13 March 2025)
Blogs
- Commitments v Distributions: Navigating the Imbalance of Capital Flow(30 May 2024)
- Evergreen Fund Structures(7 February 2024)
- SEC Private Fund Regulations(4 September 2023)
- The Impact of Rated Note Feeders in the Subscription Credit Facility Market(3 February 2023)
Events
- Removing a General Partner(Wednesday, January 21, 2026)
- DIFC / Reed Smith Private Equity Roundtable(Thursday, October 23, 2025)
- Navigating the complexities of fundraising in the current market and accessing investors in the Middle East(Wednesday, September 17, 2025)
- Accessing Investors in the Middle East(Wednesday-Thursday, February 26-27, 2025)