J. Wes Dorman, Jr.
Partner

Many lawyers use aggressive tactics or withhold important information in an attempt to control the outcome of complex deal negotiations. This approach ignores the importance of trust and cooperation between the parties and can either prevent clients from reaching all of their goals or break the deal altogether. I achieve the best results for my clients when I take a more straightforward approach that encourages everyone involved to be honest about their concerns, avoid pointless gamesmanship and work together to close the deal.

Wes Dorman guides clients from all over the world to successful outcomes in a broad range of commercial transactions, with an emphasis on complex mergers and acquisitions for both buyers and sellers. Whether he’s traveling around the country negotiating with potential buyers for a family-owned business or helping a startup raise capital and get off the ground, Wes focuses on building trust among all parties and closing the deal in a manner that’s most advantageous to his client. He has broad experience working with clients in many industries, including manufacturing, oil and gas, private equity, hedge funds, gaming, restaurants and healthcare.

Wes also advises clients on a variety of strategic decisions and activities that set them on the right path to success, maximize tax efficiency and help them seize opportunities throughout the life cycle of their businesses. He handles numerous entity-related transactions and governance matters, including entity structuring, shareholder and LLC agreements, day-to-day operations, leases, financing, private and public securities offerings and related filings, employment and non-compete agreements, reorganizations, dissolutions and FCPA investigations.

Backed by the firm’s incredibly diverse capabilities, Wes is able to protect clients when their needs go beyond his practice focus. His clients often face litigation and other matters involving many types of issues – from contracts, labor and employment matters and bankruptcy to family law disputes and trusts and estates matters that aren’t typically handled by larger firms. When necessary, Wes refers clients to other lawyers in the firm with the right skills and experience to reach the best outcome possible.

Representative Experience
  • Represented a laundromat business with locations in multiple states in its sale of assets to a global leader in commercial laundry equipment (2021)
  • Represented the founders of Chem32 in a $44 million sale of their membership interests to a subsidiary of PQ Group Holdings Inc. (NYSE: PQG). Click here for a press release. (2021)
  • Represented a Houston-based cloud transformation technology services company with operations in the US and India in its sale to a Silicon Valley-based IT service management company (2019)
  • Represented Global Healthcare Alliance in its sale to Cedar Gate Technologies, a portfolio company of Chicago-based private equity fund GTCR (2018)
  • Represented RadiaDyne, L.L.C. in its sale of equity to a publicly-traded medical device company, AngioDynamics, Inc. (2018)
  • Represented Patriot Erectors, Inc. with sale of business to Hillstar Capital, LLC and Ranch Creek Partners, LLC  (2018)
  • Represented State Parking Services, Inc. and iPark Services LLC with the sale of equity to Premier Parking of Tennessee, LLC (2018)
  • Represented NCS Multistage, LLC and Pioneer NCS Energy Holdco, LLC in the equity purchase in Repeat Precision, LLC, the owner of R.J. Machine Mexico, S. de R.L. de C.V., an operating Mexican maquiladora (2017)
  • Represented Tellurian Investments Inc. in a merger with Magellan Petroleum Corporation (2017)
  • Represented Drake Container in the sale of its Houston operations to Buckeye Corrugated (2016)
  • Represented GVEC in joint venture with Calpine Corporation agreement to acquire a 50 percent ownership interest in a 418 megawatt natural gas fired peaking power plant (2015)
  • Represented Atlas Holdings in the sale of its Forest Resources US and Canadian Assets to New-Indy Containerboard, LLC and PaperWorks Industries, Inc. (2015)
  • Represented owner of Roll It Good Holdings in sale of membership interests to K&F Restaurant Holdings, Ltd. (2014)
  • Assisted in sale of Alexander/Ryan to Drew Marine (2013)
  • Represented Clear Lake Chemicals in the sale of its specialty chemical manufacturing plant to Athlon Solutions (2013)
  • Represented shareholders of Engineered Pump Services in sale to Bayou City Pump (2012)
  • Represented Landry’s Inc. in the purchase of the Isle of Capri Casino & Hotel in Biloxi, MS. (March 2012)
  • Represented Atlas Holdings with the sale of Michigan Seamless Tube to Optima Specialty Steel (2011)
  • Represented Landry’s Inc. in the purchase of the Trump Marina Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, N.J. (2011)
  • Assisted in sale of PSS Holding, Pipeline Supply & Service, Porta-Lathe and Coating Supply & Service to PSS Holding Pipeline Supply & Service Holdings, LLC Pipeline Supply & Service, LLC (2010)
  • Represented Clear Lake Chemicals in the acquisition of a specialty chemical manufacturing plant from BASF (2010)
  • Represented Atlas Holdings in the acquisition of assets of North Pacific Group (2010)
  • Represented Atlas Holdings in the acquisition of Detroit Thermal, LLC, including the City of Detroit’s underground district energy steam system, a Detroit-based energy-from-waste facility that produces steam and electricity from municipal waste, and Hamtramck Energy Services, which operates the private industrial steam plants at several General Motors facilities in Michigan (2010)
  • Represented Alexander/Ryan Marine & Safety of Louisiana in acquisition of Louisiana operations from Marine Service & Supply (2009)
  • Represented Sprint Waste Services acquisition of Arrow Waste (2008) 
  • Represented Frontier Oil Corporation in the acquisition of Ethanol Management Company (2007)
  • Represented Sprint Waste Services acquisition of assets from PRI Services (2006)
  • Represented Forest Resources in acquisition of Creative Color Display Assets from Shenango (2006)
  • Represented Metal Services in acquisition of assets from Thor Mill Services (2006)
  • Represented Ivex Packaging in the acquisition of the equipment and business of Weyerhaeuser Corporation’s Valley View facility (2006)
  • Represented Landry’s Inc. in its purchase of Golden Nugget casinos in Las Vegas and Laughlin from Poster Financial Group (2005)
  • Represented Atlas Industrial Services LLC with the investment by Olympus Partners in Atlas Industrial Services LLC and its operating subsidiary Phoenix Services LLC (2005)
  • Represented Atlas Holdings in the acquisition of Ivex Packaging from Alcoa Inc (2005)
  • Represented Maverick Tube in acquisition from Mortonbay S.A. and Piament Holdings S.A. (2005)
  • Represented Triangle Waste Solutions in purchase of assets from American Waste Services (2005)
  • Represented Teleflex Incorporated in sale of assets to Davis Wire Corporation (2004)
  • Represented Wood Resources with the acquisition of Weyerhaeuser Company’s Chester, S.C. plywood and lumber complex and its Moncure, N.C. hardwood plywood mill (2004)
  • Represented Mid-Coast Cable Television in the sale of its business to McDonald Investment Company (2004)
  • Represented Gulf Bayport Chemicals in its purchase of assets from Lonza Inc. (2004)
  • Represented Austin Foam Plastics in the redemption of its remaining shares (2003)
  • Represented Warburg Pincus in an equity investment in Antero Resources Corporation (2003)
  • Represented Texon Company in acquisition of Texon Distributing from CMS Texon and CMS Marketing (2003)
  • Represented Michigan Seamless Tube LLC  with the purchase of the Michigan Specialty Tube Division of Vision Metals, Inc. (2002)
  • Represented the shareholders of Southwest Wire Rope in the sale to Capro Inc. (2002)
  • Represented Hitachi Data Systems in purchase of assets from Blue Fin Technologies (2001)
  • Represented M.E. Zukerman in acquisition of Penreco Partnership Interests from Pennzoil-Quaker State Company (2001)
  • Represented Duke Energy International in acquisition of Guatemala power companies from Constellation Energy (2001)
  • Represented Pioneer Companies in sale of KWT assets to Kemiron Atlantic (2000)
  • Assisted with redemption of stock in EDI Architecture and membership interests in Park House (2000)
  • Represented Fabrication Technologies in consolidation and acquisition of Steel Fabricators, Lyndon Steel Group, Presco Steel Group, Steel, Inc., Wylie Steel Fabricators, C&I Steel, Inc., Superior Steel, Inc., Fabco Medal Products, Inc. and Myers & Co. Architectural Metals (2000)
  • Represented Veridian Corp. in the acquisition of Trident Data Systems, MRJ Technology Solutions and ERIM International (1999)
  • Represented the shareholders of L-D Systems in the sale of stock to American Event Productions (1998)
Thought Leadership / News
Honors
  • Recognized at The M&A Advisor's 2019 International M&A Awards for his work with RadiaDyne and their acquisition into AngioDynamics, which was named the "Healthcare/Life Sciences Deal of the Year (Under $100 million)"
  • Recognized at The M&A Advisor's 2018 M&A Advisor Awards for his work on the majority capitalization of Patriot Erectors by Hillstar Capital and Ranch Creek Partners, which was named the "M&A Deal of the Year ($25MM - $50MM)"
  • Named a Houstonia Magazine Top Lawyer in Houston (2018, 2020 - 2023) 
  • Named a Texas Rising Star by Texas Super Lawyers (a Thomson Reuters company) as published in Texas Monthly and Law & Politics magazines (2004 and 2006)
  • Passed all four parts of the CPA Exam
Organizational Involvement
  • Texas Bar Foundation, Fellow
Education
  • J.D., The University of Texas School of Law (1994)
  • M.B.A., The University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business, Sord Scholar (1994)
  • B.B.A., Accounting, Texas Tech University, cum laude (1989)
Bar Admission
  • Texas (1994)
Court Admission
  • United States District Court, Western District of Texas
Language
  • Spanish - Conversational
When I Feel Most At Home
  • Saltwater fishing
  • Collecting historical autographs (Presidential, Supreme Court and world leaders)
  • Playing tennis