Biography
Marisela Peña Gonzalez is a business lawyer with extensive experience in guiding clients through joint venture, merger, acquisition and dispositions transactions, entity formation, as well as general corporate matters. Her clients are engaged in various industries, including real estate, manufacturing, midstream energy, oilfield services, healthcare and technology. She also has experience in private placements of securities and underwritten public offerings. Marisela frequently reviews and negotiates general commercial contracts for clients without in-house legal departments, and values the opportunity to use her Spanish language skills to assist Spanish-speaking clients in various business matters.
Marisela appreciates the trust of each client and works to provide them with quality legal representation in an efficient manner. She makes every effort to understand the issues most important to her clients and to provide them timely and responsive guidance. Having worked in house, she understands the need for practical risk mitigation advice that allows the client to achieve its business objectives.
As a first-generation lawyer and college student, the principals of diversity and inclusion are very important to Marisela. She is actively involved in efforts aimed at the recruitment, retention and mentoring of diverse attorneys.
Marisela is a member of the Jackson Walker Hiring Committee for the Houston office, responsible for recruiting law students and future Jackson Walker attorneys. Prior to joining Jackson Walker, Marisela worked in the public and non-profit sector, working with the South Texas Civil Rights Project, the Texas State House of Representatives and the Houston City Council.
Additional Languages
Spanish
Education
B.A., University of Texas at Austin
J.D., cum laude, University of Houston Law Center
- The Order of the Barons
- Order of the Coif
- President, Hispanic Law Students Association
- Notes and Comments Editor, Houston Law Review
Texas Public Policy and Candidate Training Program
Bar Admissions
Texas, 2005
Joint Ventures
- Represented developers in joint ventures to develop real estate projects, including Class A, luxury multifamily projects, senior living and active adult residential projects, office towers, mixed use and industrial and distribution projects.
- Represented operators in joint ventures to acquire and operate real estate projects, including office towers, multifamily, senior living and mixed-use projects.
- Represented investors in joint ventures to develop luxury multifamily residential developments, mixed use projects, industrial projects, student housing and office projects.
- Represented developer and operator in joint venture to recapitalize office complex.
- Represented operator in joint venture to develop and operate a refrigeration unit and cryogenic processing plant and related pipeline interconnects.
- Represented operator in joint venture to develop and operate crude oil pipeline.
- Represented joint venture to develop and operate a tank storage facility.
- Represented operator in multiple joint ventures to develop and operate gas gathering and processing systems.
- Represented operator in joint venture to develop a freshwater pipeline system and saltwater disposal facility.
Mergers & Acquisitions
- Represented manufacturing company in stock sale to foreign acquirer, including a complete reorganization of acquired companies prior to closing.
- Represented oilfield services company in multiple asset purchase transactions to purchase technology and other assets from competitors.
- Represented midstream energy company in multiple purchases of midstream assets.
- Represented a strategic buyer in multiple asset and stock purchases of targets engaged upfitting and manufacturing truck and truck accessories.
- Represented seller in the sale of behavioral health facilities to a private equity buyer. Marisela assisted with the formation and organization of the target, including the private placement to founding investors.
- Represented seller in sale of partnership holding multiple single-family residences.
Securities
- Represented issuer in connection with $70 million public offering of common stock.
- Represented issuer in connection with $225 million public offering of common stock and a simultaneous private offering of a new series of preferred stock.
- Represented issuer in connection with private offering of $1.5 billion of high yield notes and simultaneous closing of $100 million revolver facility, and a subsequent exchange offer of the private notes for registered notes.
- Represented issuer in connection with $125 million public offering of a new series of preferred stock.
- “Rising Star,” Super Lawyers – Rising Stars by Thomson Reuters, 2016-2020
- “Top 25 Business Women,” National Women’s Council, 2014
- Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation
- Arte Público Press Advisory Board, Chair from 2019 – 2021
- Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, Fellows Program, 2019
- University of Houston Law Center Pre-Law Pipeline Program mentor
- Hispanic Bar Association of Houston; participant as mentor in HisBA mentorship program
- Joint Ventures
- Mergers, Acquisitions, and Dispositions