Jonathan Michaels

Senior Counsel

Chair, Practice Group DEI Committee (Business & Tax)

My clients are busy, so I focus on being direct and practical.

Jonathan Michaels concentrates his practice on business transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and strategic alliances. He helps corporate executives and legal departments advance their business objectives by navigating them through complex strategic transactions. Jonathan strives to bring thoughtful, practical, and creative solutions to his clients.

Jonathan has represented Microsoft, Starbucks, Expedia, The Seattle Times Company, and Providence St. Joseph Health. He has specific experience in technology, healthcare, and digital health. Jonathan is ranked by Chambers USA and other leading legal publications. Chambers has recognized Jonathan for his "strong reputation for business transactions, such as M&A and joint ventures," and noted that "he has worked with a number of high-profile clients."

Jonathan also advises boards of directors on governance and other matters, and acts as principal outside counsel to companies.

Practice Highlights

Technology

Years of experience working with established technology companies and large deal teams to complete complex business transactions.

Healthcare

Trusted advisor to companies doing transactions in the highly regulated healthcare industry.

Digital health

Representing digital health companies operating in the intersection between technology and healthcare.

Sale of business for Expedia Group Inc.

Represented Expedia in the sale of ALICE, a hospitality technology company, to ASG II Hospitality Holdings, LLC, an Alpine Investors portfolio company.

Acquisitions for Microsoft

Acquisitions of Express Logic, Blue Talon, npm, and Orions Digital Systems.

Acquisitions for Providence

Represented Providence in acquisitions of Lumedic, MultiScale, HMR, and Bluetree Network.

Acquisitions for Tegria

Acquisitions of Navin Haffty, QuiviQ and Cumberland Consulting Group.

Acquisition of GoConcierge for Expedia

Represented Expedia and its subsidiary in the acquisition of GoConcierge, a SaaS (software as a service) business.

Admitted to Practice

Washington

Education

J.D., University of Washington School of Law, 1992
- Associate editor-in-chief, Washington Law Review
B.A., Washington State University, 1986, summa cum laude
Goethe Institute, Berlin
University of Copenhagen

Memberships & Affiliations

- Past or Present Board Member for various organizations, including Seafair and MIT Enterprise Forum of the Northwest
- Co-chair, Business Transactions Department, Davis Wright Tremaine, 2011-2015
- Corporate Act Revision Committee, Washington State Bar Association, 2010-2015
- Liason, Nonprofit Corporation Act Committee, Washington State Bar Association, 2012-2014

Professional Recognition

- Named as one of "America's Leading Business Lawyers" in Corporate/Commercial (Washington) by Chambers USA, 2019-2020; Corporate/M&A (Washington), 2023-2024
- Selected to "Washington Super Lawyers," in Mergers & Acquisitions, Thomson Reuters
- Named one of the "Best Lawyers in America" by Best Lawyers in Mergers & Acquisitions, 2020-present; in Corporate Law, 2024-present
- Named to "The Legal 500 U.S. Edition," for Mergers, Acquisitions and Buyouts