Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP welcomes prominent attorney and Texas State Representative Jason Villalba as a corporate partner in the Firm’s Dallas office.

Mr. Villalba, who joins Gardere from Haynes and Boone LLP, brings over a decade of experience representing clients in a wide array of corporate transactions, including mergers, acquisitions and divestitures of public, private and middle-market companies; venture capital and private equity financing transactions; and transactions involving emerging growth and technology companies. In addition, Mr. Villalba has experience representing clients in public and private securities offerings under the Securities Act of 1933, as well as public company corporate compliance under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

An important part of Mr. Villalba’s practice includes his work with the Texas Legislature. He currently serves as the state representative for House District 114, where he focuses on key issues facing all Texans – education, water, transportation and public safety. Since taking office in 2013, Mr. Villalba has been committed to working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to find consensus and pass legislation that benefits Texans and positively affects the future of the state. As a result, in his first session as a legislator, seven of the 10 bills he proposed were signed into law, and in his second session, he passed an additional 10 bills – with none vetoed by the governor.

“Through Jason’s service in the Texas Legislature, he has developed a unique understanding of the business and regulatory needs facing our clients,” said Gardere Chair Holland N. O’Neil. “He is well-known in our market and very well-respected. We are excited to welcome him to the Firm.”

Last year, the Republican State Leadership Committee named Mr. Villalba to serve as an executive committee member of the Future Majority Caucus, an initiative to create a long-term, sustained commitment of significant contributions of time and resources to support and elect minorities to state offices. He is the immediate past vice-chair of the Dallas County Republican Party, a member of the board of directors of Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings’ Grow South Fund, and a member of the development committee of the Dallas Zoo.

A fourth-generation Texan, Mr. Villalba credits his parents for teaching him the value of hard work, integrity, academic achievement and personal responsibility. The first in his family to graduate from college, Mr. Villalba worked his way through Baylor University where he studied economics and finance. He went on to earn his law degree at the University of Texas School of Law.

“I am excited about the opportunity to work with the team at Gardere,” said Mr. Villalba. “The Firm’s commitment to providing world-class legal services is matched only by the exceptional quality of the lawyers who call Gardere home. It is both an honor and a privilege for me to be able to continue my legal career with such a capable and well-respected group of counselors.”

Mr. Villalba joins Gardere’s highly regarded corporate practice, which focuses on sophisticated transactions across a wide variety of industries throughout the United States, Mexico and beyond. The team is known for its work with entrepreneurs and among middle-market companies, both public and private, particularly within the technology and energy sectors.