Jonathan Zhu

Jonathan Zhu

Partner

Wide-Ranging Tax Practice

With a practice encompassing nearly all aspects of corporate, partnership, and international tax, Jonathan advises on mergers, acquisitions, private equity transactions, and capital markets matters.
A Recognized Practitioner

Jonathan is consistently recognized as a leading tax attorney by Chambers USA.

Jonathan Zhu has a general federal income tax practice, and advises on taxable and tax-free mergers and acquisitions, various private equity transactions, and an array of capital markets matters.

He has advised, among others, Alpine Investors, Ampere Computing, Anysphere, AppLovin, Bakkt Holdings, Boyu Capital, Camberview Partners, Chime Financial, DoorDash, Figure Markets Holdings, Francisco Partners, General Atlantic, Goldman Sachs, Inspirato, KKR, Kleiner Perkins, L Capital, Mainsail Partners, Morgan Stanley, OneStream, Palantir Technologies, Pluralsight, Riverwood Capital, Rodan & Fields, RxSight, Scale AI, Serent Capital, Silver Lake Partners, Strattam Capital, Temasek Holdings, TPG Capital, Ventyx Biosciences, and Warburg Pincus.

Prior to the practice of law, Jonathan was an Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Company. He was a theoretical physicist before attending law school and has an h-index of 19 for his research.

Experience

Jonathan Zhu has a general federal income tax practice, and advises on taxable and tax-free mergers and acquisitions, various private equity transactions, and an array of capital markets matters.

Prior to the practice of law, Jonathan was an Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Company. He was a theoretical physicist before attending law school and has an h-index of 19 for his research.

Education

J.D., Yale Law School, 1998Editor, The Yale Law Journal
Ph.D., Physics, University of California, Berkeley, 1992
B.S., Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, 1987

Associations and Memberships

Member, State Bar of California

Honors

Named among California's top tax attorneys in the 2011-2026 editions of Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, in which clients described him as “very intelligent, very commercial and easy to work with” and “smart and practical, which is what you look for in a lawyer,” with others noting his ability “to discuss any matter with ease”

Admissions

State Bar of California

Credentials

Education

J.D., Yale Law School, 1998Editor, The Yale Law Journal
Ph.D., Physics, University of California, Berkeley, 1992
B.S., Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, 1987

Associations and Memberships

Member, State Bar of California

Honors

Named among California's top tax attorneys in the 2011-2026 editions of Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, in which clients described him as “very intelligent, very commercial and easy to work with” and “smart and practical, which is what you look for in a lawyer,” with others noting his ability “to discuss any matter with ease”

Admissions

State Bar of California

Select Publications

"PFIC Issues for Non-U.S. Real Property Operating Companies," 149 Tax Notes 111, October 2015
"U.S. Tax Issues in Establishing an Off-Shore Start-Up," 144 Tax Notes 1571, September 2014
"Basis Disappearance in All-Cash D Reorganizations," 126 Tax Notes 950, February 2010
"U.S.-Source Interest Income from a Lending Business," 125 Tax Notes 785, November 2009
"Cross-Border Tax Issues Involving Single-Owner Grantor Trusts," 122 Tax Notes 1247, March 2009
"Partnership-Related Withholding Rules for Interest Payments," 109 Tax Notes 820, November 2005
"Tax Deeming Rules: A Method to the Madness," 105 Tax Notes 1425, December 2004

Insights

Select Publications

"PFIC Issues for Non-U.S. Real Property Operating Companies," 149 Tax Notes 111, October 2015
"U.S. Tax Issues in Establishing an Off-Shore Start-Up," 144 Tax Notes 1571, September 2014
"Basis Disappearance in All-Cash D Reorganizations," 126 Tax Notes 950, February 2010
"U.S.-Source Interest Income from a Lending Business," 125 Tax Notes 785, November 2009
"Cross-Border Tax Issues Involving Single-Owner Grantor Trusts," 122 Tax Notes 1247, March 2009
"Partnership-Related Withholding Rules for Interest Payments," 109 Tax Notes 820, November 2005
"Tax Deeming Rules: A Method to the Madness," 105 Tax Notes 1425, December 2004

Recent Insights

News Articles

The 2026 Chambers USA guide has recognized Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati as a leading law firm in 44 geography-specific practice categories and named 87 Wilson Sonsini attorneys among the best in their fields. This year, the firm received four new practice area rankings, including in the nationwide National Security and Capital Markets: Convertible Debt categories, and three improved practice area rankings.

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Client Highlights

On April 1, 2026, Merit Medical Systems, Inc., a global leader of healthcare technology, announced it has acquired View Point Medical, Inc. The aggregate transaction consideration, including the assumption of View Point liabilities, is approximately $140 million. Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati advised View Point on the transaction.

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