Jonathan E Lass

Biography

Jonathan Lass, an Austin based equity partner at the law firm of Jackson Walker, specializes in technology and mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Jonathan represents government agencies acquiring mission-critical technology and advises private sector clients on strategic acquisitions, sales of businesses and assets, and technology procurement.

Key public sector engagements include technology outsourcing transactions on behalf of the Texas Secretary of State, Texas Supreme Court (through its Office of Court Administration), Texas Department of Transportation, Texas Lottery Commission, Teacher Retirement System of Texas, The University of Texas at Austin, The University of Texas System, the Austin Police Retirement System, and the Texas Counties and District Retirement System.

Key private sector engagements include domestic and international Mergers and Acquisition (M&A) transactions and technology transactions and projects. Recently, Jonathan advised clients in a variety of IT-oriented transactions and projects, including assisting clients in transitioning technology services from an on premises to a cloud-based service delivery, technology transformation projects, master services agreements, data center services, joint development arrangements, licensing, software as a service (SaaS), and cooperative research and development (CRADA) agreements. Jonathan also has a sub-specialty in energy and utilities, and has successfully negotiated Energy Management Systems (EMS), Open Metering Systems (OMS), Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition systems (SCADA), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and Customer Care and Information Billing systems (CCIB) transactions on behalf of his clients.

Jonathan is a trusted advisor to his clients. He actively engages with each client, and understands that clear communication, robust exchange, and deep knowledge are foundational to achieving successful results. He considers active listening, creative problem solving, clear drafting, and strategic negotiation as the cornerstones of any successful transaction, project, or litigation. Because of Jonathan’s client-centered approach, he has a unique commitment to knowing and understanding his clients’ organization, constituents, and leadership and can provide helpful information to identify his clients’ interests and goals and develop a strategy that obtains optimal results.

In addition to Jonathan’s law practice, he invests substantial time and energy teaching, mentoring, and sponsoring law students at his alma mater, The University of Texas School of Law. His favorite class to teach is Negotiations, which he has taught at The University of Texas School of Law each semester since 2017. Prior to that, Jonathan taught Business Law and Ethics to undergraduate students at the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas. Jonathan has also served on the Board of the Austin Symphony Orchestra since 2014. 

Practice Experience:

• Represented an energy technology services firm specializing in electric power smart grid modeling technologies in their sale to a private equity firm in 2021.
• Represented the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) in its technology transformation projects in years 2021-2022, including multiple public technology and operational procurements to support its critical information technology systems and operations.
• Represented the Supreme Court of Texas through its Office of Court Administration as lead counsel to procure a Texas Uniform Case Management System.
• Represented the Supreme Court of Texas through its Office of Court Administration as lead counsel to procure a Texas electronic filing system known as eFile Texas 2.0.
• Represented the Texas Department of Transportation as lead counsel in the drafting, negotiation, and selection of vendors in connection with its Fully Managed Information Technology Services and Operations outsourcing project valued at approximately $1,000,000,000.
• Represented The University of Texas System in complex education technology, software, and services transactions entered into by the University of Texas System and its institutions.
• Represented the Texas Secretary of State to acquire all intellectual property and software underlying its voting systems so that the State of Texas could independently protect, maintain and support its voting systems.
• Represented the Texas Lottery Commission in the outsourcing of its lottery operations valued nearly $1 Billion.
• Represented electric utilities with software and systems implementations of its energy management systems (EMS), outage management systems (OMS), supervisory control and data acquisition systems (SCADA), geographic information system (GIS), and outsourcing technology transactions.
• Represented the President of a software company in the sale of its business to a Fortune 100 technology company.
• Represented Pure Austin in the sale of its business to LifeTime.
• Represented Obsidian Software in the sale of its business to ARM.
• Represented American Electric Power in the purchase of generation assets from Reliant Energy, an NRG Company.
• Represented a publicly-held corporation in obtaining a $20 Million credit facility.
• Represented accountancy, dental, medical, and veterinary practices to acquire or sell their professional practices.
• Represented a green device company in the sale of its business to a global, venture-backed technology company.
• Represented a Dubai-based business in a global, multi-level software launch.
• Developed open source software and social media policies for client companies.
• Successfully arbitrated trademark domain name dispute on behalf of Earth and Sky®.
• Held the position of Interim General Counsel to a publicly-held corporation.

 Recognition and Accolades:

• Adjunct Professor of the Year at The University of Texas School of Law for 2022 recognizing excellence in teaching and service
• Bobby Jones Scholar
• The Best Lawyers in America (Woodward/White Inc.), Corporate Law, 2021-2023
• “Texas Rising Star,” Super Lawyers – Rising Stars by Thomson Reuters, 2010-2013
• Texas Bar Foundation, Life Fellow

Publications and Speeches:

• Author, “Computer Usage Policies, Records Management, and Information Governance,” Chapter 3 of the textbook Essentials of E-Discovery (Second Edition), State Bar of Texas (2021)
• Speaker, “Public Sector Information Technology Outsourcing,” University of Texas School of Law Technology Law Conference with Martin Zelinsky, former General Counsel of the Department of Information Resources (DIR), and Brian Tulga, Cardinal Source Management Consulting (May 22, 2020)
• Speaker, “A View into Trade Secret Misappropriation” University of Texas School of Law Technology Law Conference (May, 2018) with Federal Judges Robert Pitman, Xavier Rodriguez, and David Horan
• Guest Lecturer, Texas A&M University EnMed Program (2017)
• Speaker, “Technology and Intellectual Property Law Issues as Viewed From the Federal Bench” University of Texas School of Law Technology Law Conference with Judge Lee Yeakel, Judge Robert Pitman, and Judge Xavier Rodriguez (2017)
• Speaker, “Technology Law From the Bench” University of Texas School of Law Technology Law Conference with Judge Lee Yeakel, Judge Robert Pitman, and Judge Xavier Rodriguez (2016)
• Speaker, “Information Governance in an Electronic World,” Women in eDiscovery, Austin Chapter (2016)
• Guest Lecturer, St. Mary’s University School of Law (San Antonio, Texas), in the area of Electronic Discovery (2015)
• Speaker, “Complex Technology and Intellectual Property Transactions,” University of Texas School of Law Technology Law Conference (2015)
• Speaker, “Ethics of e-Discovery,” University of Texas School of Law Technology Law Conference with Judge Lee Yeakel, Judge Robert Pitman, and Judge Xavier Rodriguez (2015)
• Contributor, “Austin Event to Examine Complex Technology Business Transactions,” Austin Business Journal, May 4, 2015 (Christopher Calnan)
• Author, “Computer Usage Policies, Records Management, and Information Governance,” Essentials of E-Discovery, State Bar of Texas (2014)
• Speaker, “Technology, Ethics, and Electronic Discovery,” University of Texas School of Law Technology Conference (2014)
• Speaker, “Cybersecurity: Developments, Challenges and a Modest Case for Self-Defense,” University of Texas School of Law Technology Law Conference (2013)
• Speaker, “Best Practices in Electronic Discovery,” University of Texas School of Law Technology Law Conference (2013)
• Guest Lecturer, Texas A&M University, College of Engineering (2010-2013)
• Guest Lecturer, Concordia University MBA Program (2013)
• Speaker and Moderator, “Data Security Breaches – Lessons Learned,” University of Texas School of Law Technology Law Conference (2012)
• Contributor, “SXSW goes to court to protect its brand” Austin Business Journal, December 2, 2011 (Vicky Garza)
• Contributor, “Dachis, Defakto Trade Words Over Social Council Name,” Austin Business Journal, June 10, 2011 (Christopher Calnan)
• Guest Lecturer, Austin Entrepreneur Network course held at the Acton School of Business (2010)
• Speaker, “How to Protect Your Intellectual Property Rights in Software from Bankruptcy and Insolvency Risks through Software License Agreements and Source Code Escrow Agreements,” University of Texas School of Law Technology Law Conference (2009)
• Author, “How To Protect Intellectual Property,” Small Business Wiki (2008)
• Speaker, “How to Protect Your Intellectual Property,” University of Texas School of Law Technology Law Conference (2008)
• Contributor, “Local companies beware of foreign export laws,” Austin Business Journal, November 25, 2007 (Jean Kwon)

Community Involvement:

• University of Texas School of Law, Adjunct Professor
• University of Texas McCombs School of Business, Adjunct Professor
• Austin Symphony Orchestra, Board of Directors, Nominations Committee Associate Vice President (2018-2019)
• University of Texas, Advisory Board Member
• Austin Bar Association Technology Law Section, Former Chairman
• University of Texas School of Law Technology Law Conference, Planning Committee Member
• Bobby Jones Scholars Foundation, Selection Committee

Faculty Award:

Jonathan Lass was named a recipient of the Adjunct Professor of the Year Award by the Student Bar Association of The University of Texas School of Law. The award, which recognizes excellence in teaching and service, was presented at the Justice Center Celebration of Service & Student Bar Association Teaching Awards on April 21, 2022.

Bobby Chesney, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at The University of Texas School of Law, stated, “Jonathan is a dedicated, passionate teacher, training our students in the incredibly important art of negotiations. We are so grateful for his service, and so glad he’s part of the Texas Law family.”

Jonathan invests substantial time and energy teaching, mentoring, and sponsoring law students at The University of Texas. In addition to his busy practice, Jonathan teaches Negotiations as an adjunct professor at The University of Texas School of Law where he has taught since the 2017 and where he is a member of the planning committee for the university’s annual Technology Law Conference. Prior to teaching the Negotiations course, he taught Financial Methods for Lawyers at the law school and Business Law and Ethics to undergraduate students at the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas.

“It is an honor to receive this award from my alma mater,” Jonathan said. “I am passionate about contributing to the education of the next generation of lawyers in Texas, and this recognition from my students makes that work especially meaningful today.”