Jonathan Whalen

Jonathan Whalen is a partner in Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s Dallas office and a member of the firm’s Mergers and Acquisitions and Private Equity Practice Groups. Jonathan advises public and private companies, private equity sponsors, and their portfolio companies in mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and general corporate matters. He has extensive experience managing complex domestic and cross-border transactions across a variety of industries, including consumer goods, manufacturing, financial services, and energy.

Jonathan’s practice emphasizes high-profile M&A transactions, strategic investments, and transactional risk management, including the use of representation and warranty insurance. His clients value his ability to navigate challenging deal dynamics and craft innovative solutions that drive successful outcomes.

Representative Clients and Transactions

• CenterOak Partners LLC
  • Counsel to CenterOak Partners LLC in its acquisitions and divestitures of numerous businesses, including Wetzel’s Pretzels, Vivify Specialty Ingredients, and Shamrock Environmental.
• Audax
  • Counsel to Audax in connection with numerous portfolio companies and add-on transactions.
• Citation Capital
  • Acquisition of Cibo Vita, a leading provider of trail mixes and snacks.
• TreeHouse Foods
  • Divestiture of its meal preparation business to Investindustrial.
  • Acquisition of Farmer Brothers’ Northlake, Texas coffee facility and direct ship coffee business.
  • Acquisition of the Harris Tea private brand tea business from Harris Freeman.
• Kimberly-Clark
  • Divestiture of its tissue business in Brazil to Suzano.
• D.R. Horton
  • Acquisition of Vidler Water Resources, a publicly traded developer of water rights and water infrastructure assets.
  • Acquisition of Forestar Group Inc., a publicly traded residential lot development company.
• Celanese Corporation
  • Acquisition of the Elotex redispersible polymer powders business from Nouryon.
  • Acquisition of thermoplastics custom compounder Next Polymers Ltd.
  • Acquisition of thermoplastics custom compounder Omni Plastics.
• Murata
  • Acquisition of Resonant Inc., a publicly traded provider of radio frequency filter design solutions for the mobile device industry.
• Arq Inc. (formerly Advanced Emissions Solutions)
  • Business combination with Arq Limited, a producer of innovative carbon-based products and advanced energy materials.
• United Therapeutics
  • Acquisition of SteadyMed, a publicly traded medical device manufacturer.
• The Williams Companies
  • $10.5 billion merger with Williams Partners, L.P.
• Berkshire Hathaway Energy
  • Acquisition of publicly-traded NV Energy, Inc. for $10 billion.
• Luminant Holdings
  • Acquisition of natural gas generation facilities from NextEra Energy for approximately $1.3 billion

Thought Leadership and Recognition

Jonathan co-authors the LexisNexis M&A Practice Guide, a comprehensive resource for transactional attorneys, and regularly speaks and writes on mergers and acquisitions topics, including representation and warranty insurance. Recognized as an "Up and Coming" Corporate/M&A attorney by Chambers USA in their 2023 publication and a finalist for D CEO magazine and the Association of Corporate Growth Dealmaker of the Year in 2018, Jonathan combines deep legal expertise with a practical, client-focused approach.

As the Hiring Partner for Gibson Dunn’s Dallas office, Jonathan is dedicated to mentoring the next generation of legal talent while continuing to deliver exceptional results for his clients.

Education

Jonathan received his law degree summa cum laude in 2009 from the SMU Dedman School of Law, where he was a member of the Order of the Coif and served as an Articles Editor on the SMU Law Review. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree summa cum laude and his Master of Business Administration degree from Louisiana Tech University.

Bar Admission

Jonathan is a member of the Texas Bar and admitted to practice in the State of Texas.

Capabilities

• Mergers and Acquisitions
• Energy and Infrastructure
• Power and Renewables
• Private Equity
• Securities Regulation and Corporate Governance

Credentials

Education:

• Southern Methodist University - 2009 Juris Doctor
• Louisiana Tech University - 2002 MBA
• Louisiana Tech University - 2001 Bachelor of Science

Admissions:

• Texas Bar