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
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
JW Recognized for Dallas Woodall Rodgers Park Ground-Making
September 21, 2009
August 24, 2023
NewslettersJW Diversity & Inclusion Newsletter – August 2023
View Jackson Walker’s August 2023 Diversity & Inclusion Newsletter, Perspectives.
November 17, 2022
NewslettersJW Diversity & Inclusion Newsletter – November 2022
View Jackson Walker’s November 2022 Diversity & Inclusion Newsletter, Perspectives.
October 12, 2022
PodcastsCelebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month
JW Fast Takes Podcast | ~8 minutes
At Jackson Walker, we are extremely proud of our Hispanic attorneys and allied professionals. As we celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month through October 15, Marisela Peña Gonzalez and Javier Gonzalez joined the Fast Takes podcast to share their stories.
April 21, 2022
NewslettersJW Diversity & Inclusion Newsletter – April 2022
View Jackson Walker’s April 2022 Diversity & Inclusion Newsletter, Perspectives.
March 9, 2022
Attorney NewsMarisela Peña Gonzalez to Be Recognized as a Top Emerging Leader at National Women’s Conference
At the National Women’s Conference held on March 29-31, 2022, Marisela Peña Gonzalez will be honored with a Top Emerging Leader Award, which recognizes recipients for their peer leadership, executive leadership potential, and for demonstrating “values of courage, inclusiveness, innovation, faithfulness, persistence, and humility.”
February 11, 2022
Attorney NewsJackson Walker Announces Largest Class of Newly Elected Partners to Date
Jackson Walker is pleased to announce the election of 14 attorneys to the Firm’s partnership on Friday, February 11, 2022. In addition to electing 14 new partners, the Firm also congratulates Bart Cicuto, Noah Speck, and Austin Thomas on their promotion from associates to senior counsel.
March 8, 2021
Client ResultsJackson Walker Advises Kamada in Acquiring FDA-Licensed Plasma Collection Center
Marisela Gonzalez and Virginia Mimmack led a Jackson Walker team advising Kamada Ltd. in its acquisition of Blood and Plasma Research, Inc. With the acquisition, Kamada enters the U.S. plasma collection market and advances its strategic goal to become a fully integrated specialty plasma company.
June 30, 2020
NewslettersJW Diversity & Inclusion Newsletter – June 2020
Explore the accomplishments of our diverse attorneys and their involvement within our communities during the first half of 2020.
March 10, 2020
Attorney NewsJackson Walker Congratulates 30 Attorneys Listed Among 2020 “Super Lawyers – Rising Stars” List
Spanning five offices, six major practice areas, and experience ranging from six to 15 years, these 30 up-and-coming attorneys were selected based on peer recognition and professional achievement.
March 6, 2019
Attorney NewsUp and Coming: 34 Jackson Walker Attorneys Named to 2019 “Super Lawyers – Rising Stars” List
Jackson Walker is excited to congratulate our 34 attorneys who were named to Thomson Reuters’ 2019 “Super Lawyers – Rising Stars” list.
- Joint Ventures
- Mergers, Acquisitions, and Dispositions