Ross J. Tanaka
Partner
-
Trusted Advisor on 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, including mergers and acquisitions, tender and exchange offers, asset acquisitions, divestitures and business carve-outs, equity investments, and joint ventures and other strategic partnerships.
-
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 M&A 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 the biotechnology, AI, defense, software, gaming, fintech, and semiconductor sectors.
Experience
Ross Tanaka is a partner in the M&A 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 the biotechnology, AI, defense, software, gaming, fintech, and semiconductor sectors.
Education
- 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
Honors
- Named 2025 “Emerging Leader” by M&A Advisor
Admissions
- State Bar of Washington
Credentials
Education
- 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
Honors
- Named 2025 “Emerging Leader” by M&A Advisor
Admissions
- 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
- Edgewise Therapeutics in its $2.65 billion sale of its muscular dystrophy program to Servier
- Encora Holdings Limited in its approximately $1.5 billion sale to Advent International
- Excellergy in its $2 billion sale to Novartis
- Firefly Bio in its $1 billion sale to J&J
- 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.
Matters
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
- Edgewise Therapeutics in its $2.65 billion sale of its muscular dystrophy program to Servier
- Encora Holdings Limited in its approximately $1.5 billion sale to Advent International
- Excellergy in its $2 billion sale to Novartis
- Firefly Bio in its $1 billion sale to J&J
- 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
Insights
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
Focus Areas
Recent Insights
Client Highlights
Wilson Sonsini Advises Beam Benefits on Acquisition by Principal Financial Group
On July 7, 2026, Principal Financial Group announced an agreement to acquire Beam Benefits, an employee benefits company serving more than 25,000 small businesses. Principal currently serves 180,000 employers, providing comprehensive retirement, benefits, and business owner solutions. The acquisition is expected to close in the latter half of 2026, subject to the completion of customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati advised Beam Benefits on the transaction.
Learn More
Client Highlights
Firm Advises Edgewise Therapeutics on Its Sale of Sevasemten for up to $2.65 Billion
On June 1, 2026, Edgewise Therapeutics, a leading muscle disease biopharmaceutical company, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement under which Servier, an independent international pharmaceutical group governed by a foundation, will acquire sevasemten, an orally administered fast skeletal myosin inhibitor in late-stage clinical trials in Becker and Duchenne muscular dystrophies, and Edgewise's muscular dystrophy business for $1.55 billion in upfront cash consideration and up to $1.1 billion in additional milestone payments, for aggregate potential consideration of up to $2.65 billion. The transaction strengthens Edgewise’s balance sheet, providing enhanced financial flexibility and sharpening the company’s strategic focus to accelerate and unlock the full potential of its cardiovascular pipeline. Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati advised Edgewise on the transaction.
Learn More
Recent Events
Affiliated Programs
NASDAQ Winter 2026 M&A Bootcamp
Wilson Sonsini is kicking off the 2026 Bootcamp series with Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center, KPMG, and Wells Fargo. This M&A Bootcamp is designed for C-level executives and vice presidents of business development who are responsible for identifying and managing successful M&A transactions. Industry and subject matter experts will share best practices and winning strategies for successful transitions.
Learn More
- Privacy Policy
- Terms of Use
- Accessibility
Copyright © 2026 Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. All Rights Reserved.