Jeffrey J. White provides counseling and dispute resolution advice for manufacturers and distributors throughout the United States and globally. He leads our firm's Manufacturing Industry team, which has been described by media outlets as ”one of the top manufacturing law practices” in the United States, as well as the Aerospace Supply Chain team.
Jeff is a leader within the manufacturing community and has been invited to speak at The White House, U.S. Department of Commerce events, and manufacturing industry events across North America. He has been appointed to committees supporting U.S. commerce by both Republican and Democratic Presidential administrations. In 2022, Jeff was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and U.S. Trade Representative to serve on the Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Aerospace Equipment. He has offered legal commentary for publications such as Politco, IndustryWeek, and Aviation Week, among others.
In 2013, Jeff created and launched the widely read Manufacturing Law Blog, which was the first blog in the country to address legal issues facing manufacturers and distributors.
Jeff was recognized in the 2020-2024 Editions of CHAMBERS USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, which is based on objective research and extensive confidential interviews with clients. Jeff is described in the 2020 Edition as “wonderful and always available.”
Corporate Compliance / Outside General Counsel / International
Jeff serves as outside general counsel for several privately held manufacturers, including family-owned businesses and many industrial B2B suppliers. Drawing upon his industry knowledge and experience, he develops solutions for businesses that operate within global supply chains and often lack commercial leverage. Jeff has assisted manufacturers with contract review and management, developing solutions for a litany of global compliance challenges, and resolving disputes of all kinds between OEMs, suppliers, and the like. As evidence of Jeff’s commitment to help his clients grow, Robinson+Cole received the President’s E-Award for Exports in 2019, a recognition given to persons, firms, or organizations that contribute significantly in the effort to increase United States exports.
Jeff also counsels international companies that have operations in the United States, including manufacturers headquartered in the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and Australia, among other countries. He navigates the cross-cultural differences that can exist within global companies and has been invited by his clients to conduct trainings throughout Europe and Asia. Jeff supports the work of economic development agencies that support direct foreign investment into the United States. He was selected by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s SelectUSA program to co-author a chapter in its Investor Guide for companies interested in making investments in the U.S.
Manufacturing Business to Business Dispute Resolution / Litigation
Jeff also represents several Fortune 500 manufacturers, including in the aerospace, chemicals and consumer products markets. His dispute resolution/litigation experience includes product-related class actions, product liability prevention and litigation, and supply chain disputes (including with long-term agreements (LTAs) that range from hundreds of thousands of dollars to several billion dollars). He often serves as lead counsel for manufacturers facing substantial liability in disputes across the United States. Jeff routinely uses his litigation and business experience to counsel companies that wish to assess and/or resolve business-to-business disputes with suppliers, vendors, and other business partners, without resorting to litigation.
High-Stakes Litigation
In addition to his experience with manufacturers, Jeff has served as lead counsel in high-stakes litigation matters for a variety of clients facing significant exposure. He has represented educational institutions, Native American tribes, and municipalities, among other clients. In one such case, he successfully argued before the Connecticut Supreme Court in an antitrust case arising out of a proposed $1 billion waterfront project. Jeff is past chair of our firm’s Appellate practice group and has been involved in more than 50 appeals and has argued before the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the state appellate courts in Connecticut, New York, and Maryland.
Prior to joining Robinson+Cole, Jeff clerked for the Honorable Ellen Ash Peters, retired Connecticut Supreme Court chief justice.
