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Expert in M&A and Strategic Transactions
Ross is a strategic advisor who counsels boards of directors and management teams on their most challenging issues. He has significant experience with M&A and corporate governance matters, particularly in the technology and life sciences industries, including mergers and acquisitions, tender and exchange offers, asset acquisitions, divestitures and business carve-outs, equity investments, and joint ventures and other strategic partnerships.
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Experienced Dealmaker
Ross’s recent transactional experience includes announced or completed M&A and other strategic transactions valued at over $90 billion in the aggregate.
Ross Tanaka is a partner in the Mergers & Acquisitions practice at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where he advises public and private companies on complex, high-stakes transactions. His practice spans the full range of strategic M&A activity, including public company sales, private company exits, cross-border acquisitions, and carve-outs.
Ross has led deal teams on many high-profile and market-shaping transactions across sectors such as enterprise software, digital health, gaming, fintech, and semiconductors.
Ross Tanaka is a partner in the Mergers & Acquisitions practice at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where he advises public and private companies on complex, high-stakes transactions. His practice spans the full range of strategic M&A activity, including public company sales, private company exits, cross-border acquisitions, and carve-outs.
Ross has led deal teams on many high-profile and market-shaping transactions across sectors such as enterprise software, digital health, gaming, fintech, and semiconductors.
- J.D., University of Washington School of Law, 2015With Honors; Articles Editor, Washington Law Review; Recipient, Vivian A. Carkeek Prize
- B.A., English, Pomona College, 2011Recipient, F.S. Jennings Memorial Prize
- Named 2025 “Emerging Leader” by M&A Advisor
- State Bar of Washington
- J.D., University of Washington School of Law, 2015With Honors; Articles Editor, Washington Law Review; Recipient, Vivian A. Carkeek Prize
- B.A., English, Pomona College, 2011Recipient, F.S. Jennings Memorial Prize
- Named 2025 “Emerging Leader” by M&A Advisor
- State Bar of Washington
Select Matters
- Anduril Industries in its acquisition of the IVAS Program from Microsoft
- AppLovin in the $800 million sale of its mobile games business to Tripledot Studios
- Arcellx in its $7.8 billion sale to Gilead
- Couchbase in its $1.5 billion sale to Haveli Investments
- DTx Pharma in its sale to Novartis for a $500 million upfront payment and an additional $500 million in milestone payments
- Encora Holdings Limited in its approximately $1.5 billion sale to Advent International
- Excellergy in its $2 billion sale to Novartis
- ForgeRock, Inc. in its $2.3 billion sale to Thoma Bravo
- Hawaiian Airlines in its $1.9 billion sale to Alaska Airlines
- Fivetran in its acquisition of dbt Labs
- Infinera in its $2.3 billion sale to Nokia
- Marvell in its $5.5 billion acquisition of Celestial AI
- Omeros Corporation in the sale of its drug candidate zaltenibart to Novo Nordisk for up to $2.1 billion
- Stripe in its acquisition of Bridge Network
- Sumo Logic, Inc. in its $1.7 billion sale to Francisco Partners
- Transcarent in its $861 million acquisition of Accolade
- Twitter, Inc. in its $44 billion sale to Elon Musk
- Twitter, Inc., in the $1.05 billion sale of its MoPub mobile ad network to Applovin Corporation
- Ventyx Biosciences in its $1.2 billion sale to Eli Lilly
- VIZIO in its $2.3 billion sale to Walmart
- Xero Limited in its $3 billion acquisition of Melio Payments
- Zynga Inc. in its $12.7 billion sale to Take-Two Interactive, Inc.
Select Matters
- Anduril Industries in its acquisition of the IVAS Program from Microsoft
- AppLovin in the $800 million sale of its mobile games business to Tripledot Studios
- Arcellx in its $7.8 billion sale to Gilead
- Couchbase in its $1.5 billion sale to Haveli Investments
- DTx Pharma in its sale to Novartis for a $500 million upfront payment and an additional $500 million in milestone payments
- Encora Holdings Limited in its approximately $1.5 billion sale to Advent International
- Excellergy in its $2 billion sale to Novartis
- ForgeRock, Inc. in its $2.3 billion sale to Thoma Bravo
- Hawaiian Airlines in its $1.9 billion sale to Alaska Airlines
- Fivetran in its acquisition of dbt Labs
- Infinera in its $2.3 billion sale to Nokia
- Marvell in its $5.5 billion acquisition of Celestial AI
- Omeros Corporation in the sale of its drug candidate zaltenibart to Novo Nordisk for up to $2.1 billion
- Stripe in its acquisition of Bridge Network
- Sumo Logic, Inc. in its $1.7 billion sale to Francisco Partners
- Transcarent in its $861 million acquisition of Accolade
- Twitter, Inc. in its $44 billion sale to Elon Musk
- Twitter, Inc., in the $1.05 billion sale of its MoPub mobile ad network to Applovin Corporation
- Ventyx Biosciences in its $1.2 billion sale to Eli Lilly
- VIZIO in its $2.3 billion sale to Walmart
- Xero Limited in its $3 billion acquisition of Melio Payments
- Zynga Inc. in its $12.7 billion sale to Take-Two Interactive, Inc.
Select Speaking Engagements
- Panelist, “M&A Strategy for Early-to-Mid Stage Founders,” Winter 2026 M&A Bootcamp, Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center webinar, March 19, 2026
- Speaker, “The public company tightrope in M&A and take-privates: The GC’s hidden power in corporate deal-making” and “From Series A to IPO: Transaction readiness for private companies,” Diligent’s Modern Governance Virtual Summit, September 23, 2025
Select Speaking Engagements
- Panelist, “M&A Strategy for Early-to-Mid Stage Founders,” Winter 2026 M&A Bootcamp, Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center webinar, March 19, 2026
- Speaker, “The public company tightrope in M&A and take-privates: The GC’s hidden power in corporate deal-making” and “From Series A to IPO: Transaction readiness for private companies,” Diligent’s Modern Governance Virtual Summit, September 23, 2025
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