Jonathan B. Vessey

Jonathan specializes in mergers and acquisitions and investment transactions. He lives by the motto “identifying problems is the easy part; what matters is knowing how to solve them". He focuses on finding practical, commercial solutions for his clients, who range from private equity sponsors, investment funds, and family offices to management teams and founders of start-ups.

Jonathan has extensive experience representing private equity firms, family offices, venture capital firms and privately held industry leaders. He closes dozens of deals a year as lead counsel for private equity sponsors, their portfolio companies, strategic acquirors and management sellers, combining keen insight into structuring transactions with a deep knowledge of mergers and acquisitions and securities laws to help his clients close transactions effectively and efficiently. He also represents investors who invest billions of dollars as institutional limited partners into investment funds, co-investments and independent sponsor-led transactions, bringing his extensive market knowledge to negotiate side letters and fund agreements.

Jonathan serves as the co-chair of the firm’s Mergers and Acquisitions group, which consists of nearly 100 attorneys and consistently ranks in the Top 15 among U.S. law firms in Pitchbook’s Annual Global League Tables.

Jonathan also has access to an extensive network in the representations and warranties insurance policy industry and has been involved in the industry for over 15 years, dating back to its inception. He negotiates and binds dozens of policies each year, leveraging his network to obtain the best possible results. for transactional clients.

Prior to practicing law in Minnesota, Jonathan spent more than a decade at a prominent firm in New York. He previously served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Chad. Thereafter, he lived in Benin and Morocco and managed the Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Initiative’s pediatric antiretroviral programs in 13 countries in West and Central Africa.

• Represents Meraki Private Equity in its add-on investments and acquisitions of companies in the financial services vertical, with over 15 closed transactions to date
• Represented a private equity fund in the establishment of a joint venture to purchase and finance the origination of Property-Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) bonds and complete the nation’s first securitization of PACE bonds.
• Represents management groups in connection with sponsor buyouts, including employment arrangements, equity compensation, and co-invest or rollover opportunities
• Represented private equity firm in connection with the acquisition of one of the nation’s largest franchisees of coffee and baked good enterprise with over 100 stores.
• Represented private equity firm in connection with acquisition of provider of mission-critical test and measurement equipment and services to thousands of customers in a variety of industries and represented acquired portfolio company in numerous follow-on acquisitions.
• Represented private equity firm in restructuring and follow-on investment into leading manufacturer of organic and natural pet food.
• Represented private equity firm in connection with the acquisition of one of the largest privately owned professional employer organizations (PEO) in the United States.
• Represented private equity portfolio PEO company in its acquisitions of a Minneapolis-based PEO and a Florida-based PEO.
• Represented private equity sponsor in its disposition of a national lender to franchisees in the quick service restaurant industry to publicly-traded bank holding company.
• Represented a leading publisher of children's books and digital reading products and services, in the sale of its digital publishing division to a leading technology private equity investment firm.
• Represented strategic investor, a leading provider of corporate governance solutions to the global financial community, in connection with the acquisition of a data and analytics firm developing software solutions relating to executive compensation.
• Represented publicly-traded international seaborne energy transportation services company in connection with the multiple acquisitions of entities that own crude oil tankers.
• Represented private equity portfolio company that is a leading online marketplace for buying and selling real estate in multiple acquisitions, joint ventures, sourcing agreements and follow-on co-investments
• Represented private equity firm in the formation of a new joint venture and related purchase by that joint venture of a bank-owned life insurance distribution and servicing unit.
• Represented multiple private equity portfolio companies in connection with their implementation of incentive equity plans, employee equity investments and employment agreements.
• Represented private equity portfolio company that is a provider of structured financing solutions to middle-market companies and real estate investors in the merger with a provider of alternative capital and related creation of client's venture finance division.
• Represented private equity sponsors, hedge funds and strategic investors with respect to a variety of structured investments and fund formation, including:
  • Institutional limited partners in their investments in private equity funds, hedge funds and co-investments in a wide variety of industries.
  • Formation of a private REIT fund focused on originating mortgage loans.
  • Private equity firm in connection with a minority investment in a holding company that owns and operates a network of private schools.
  • Maker and marketer of grills, wood pellets, sauces, spices and grilling accessories in connection with the sale of a substantial minority interest to a private equity firm.
  • Private equity firm in connection with founding of and start-up investment in a provider of structured financing solutions to middle-market companies and real estate investors, and subsequent capital raising rounds.
  • Private equity sponsor in the establishment of, and start-up and follow-on investments in, a start-up companies in industries ranging from vehicle leasing to mezzanine lending.

Education

• New York University School of Law, J.D., 1999
• Harvard University, A.B., 1995, magna cum laude

Admissions

• Minnesota, 2016
• New York, 2000

Languages

• North Star Lawyer, Minnesota State Bar Association, 2023-2025
• Global M&A Network's M&A Atlas Awards, Key Member of Legal Team that Won Deal of the Year Honors, 2015
• Global M&A Network's M&A Atlas Awards, Key Member of Legal Team that Won Financial Services Deal of the Year Honors, 2014

Professional Activities

• Minnesota State Bar Association
• New York State Bar Association
• Hennepin County Bar Association
• North Star Lawyer, 2020, 2023-2025
• The Advocates for Human Rights, Volunteer Lawyer
• New York University School of Law Journal of International Law and Politics, Articles Editor, 1998-1999; Staff Member, 1997-1998

Community

• Minnesota Opera, Board of Directors, 2024-present; Chair of Nominating and Governance Committee, 2025-present
• Edina Basketball Association, Board of Directors, 2024-present; Secretary, 2025-present
• Alliance Française of Minneapolis/St Paul, Board of Directors, 2016-2022; Legal Counsel, 2018-2025; Chair of Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, 2017-2022
• Citta, Inc., Member of Board of Directors, 2011-2018
• United States Peace Corps, Volunteer, Chad, Africa, 2003-2005