People
Jonathan Melmed is Co-Chair of the firm’s Global Corporate Department as well as its Global Private Equity and M&A practice with over 25 years of experience. In addition, Jonathan serves on our Managing Policy Committee. Jonathan represents private equity funds, pension plans, sovereigns, family offices, hedge funds, corporate clients and investment banks re U.S. and international M&A, private equity and complex corporate transactions. Jonathan has extensive M&A and PE experience across many sectors, including in the energy, power, infrastructure, financial services, media, telecommunications, fiber, telecom, technology, life sciences, health care, pharma, and real estate/REIT sectors. Jonathan is also the Co-Chair of the firm’s Global Energy Power & Infrastructure practice, leads our Canada practice and co-leads our Energy Transition practice. Jonathan has one of the most active renewable energy/clean tech and digital infra Private Equity and M&A practices in the world.
Jonathan’s representative fund clients have included, among others, The Alaska Permanent Fund, Arevon Asset Management, Axium Infrastructure, Azrieli Group, Blackstone Energy Partners, BMO Capital, Brevan Howard, Brookfield Energy Partners, the Caisse de Dépôt et Placement du Québec, Caithness Private Equity, Capital Dynamics, Chatham Asset Management, Citi Alternative Investments, Crestline Private Equity, D.E. Shaw, DRI Capital, DW Partners, EJF Capital, Elliott Associates, EnerTech Capital Partners, Fiera Comox Partners, First Reserve, Greensoil Investments, Hapoalim Capital, Harbinger Capital Partners, iCON Infrastructure, La Coop fédérée, LBO France Gestion, Lyxor (f/k/a Société Générale Asset Management), Macquarie Capital, Morgan Stanley Private Equity, Mubadala Investment Company, Novus Capital, OMERS Private Equity, Ontario Teachers, Opus Capital, SCP Private Equity, Southern Cross Private Equity, Starwood Energy Group, Strategic Value Partners, TOMS Capital, TPG Sixth Street Partners, and UBS Infrastructure & Private Equity.
Representative Live and Broad Based Sector M&A/PE Matters (see the “Matters” section below for other representative matters listed by sector)
Representing Macquarie Infrastructure re a M&A transaction involving a combined cycle natural gas portfolio located in the U.S. (2026)
Represented Ridgewood Infrastructure, LLC, a leading infrastructure investment firm, in the sale of APP Jet Centers, a fixed base operator platform that provides corporate/business terminal and flight services, to Bain Capital Real Estate. (2026)
Represented Lotus Infrastructure Partners, an energy and infrastructure private equity fund, in its acquisition of Caithness Long Island from Caithness Energy, a privately held independent power producer. (2026)
Represented Ridgewood Infrastructure, LLC, a leading infrastructure investment firm, in its platform acquisition of Sierra Railroad Company, a freight operations company. (2026)
Representing Davidson Kempner in a corporate transaction in the data center sector in the U.S. (2026)
Representing Aranda Principal Strategies, a U.S. multi-strategy fund affiliated with Temasek re a transaction in Australia in the data center space. (2026)
Representing an international infrastructure private equity fund in a transatlantic pending acquisition of a large portfolio of renewable natural gas assets. (2026)
Representing a U.S. infrastructure private equity fund re a continuation vehicle M&A deal involving a combined cycle natural gas company. (2026)
Representing France-based Meridiam Infrastructure re two U.S. renewables M&A transactions. (2026)
Representing Canada-based Fiera Comox re a U.S. corporate transaction. (2026)
Representing Puresky, a portfolio company of Palisade Infrastructure and Fiera Infrastructure re a corporate finance transaction. (2026)
Representing Summa Equity, a Nordics based private equity fund in a M&A transaction in the U.S. (2026)
Representing a portfolio company of Ardian Infrastructure, a France-based infrastructure private equity fund re a hydrogen sector, corporate joint venture transaction in South America. (2026)
Representing a 50% owner of the GP of a private equity fund acquiring the remaining 50% GP interest in the fund. (2026)
Representing an infrastructure focused private equity fund in an attempted US take private of a publicly listed North American independent power producer. (2026)
Representing an infrastructure private equity fund in its pending acquisition of a U.S. regulated utility located in Pennsylvania. (2026)
Representing an infrastructure private equity fund in its pending acquisition of a regulated utility located in Michigan. (2026)
Representing D.E. Shaw Renewable Investments in a number of tax credit and M&A transactions in renewables. (2026)
Representing a U.S. listed public company re a private equity transaction in Southeast Asia involving military government contracts. (2026)
Representing an India-based company re a large-scale hydrogen sector corporate transaction located in Singapore. (2026)
Representing a US infrastructure private equity fund re a multi-billion-dollar acquisition of the North American arm of a European-based renewables developer. (2026)
Representing a U.S. public company in a joint venture to develop utility scale solar and battery storage power plants in the U.S. (2026)
Representing a Canadian infrastructure private equity fund re a M&A deal involving a water services company. (2026)
Representing a Canadian private equity infrastructure fund re a solar and battery portfolio acquisition located in the United Arab Emirates. (2026)
Representing a U.S. infrastructure private equity fund re it bid to acquire a battery storage portfolio located in Saudi Arabia. (2026)
Representing a U.S. infrastructure private equity fund re its bid to acquire a secondary portfolio of renewables assets. (2026)
Representing an Australia-based infrastructure fund re its North American fund formation first closing. (2026)
Representing a U.S. based secondary focused infrastructure fund re its hybrid GP partial sale/fund formation. (2026)
Representing a U.S. hedge fund re a multi-billion-dollar corporate transaction located in Saudi Arabia involving a local sovereign. (2026)
Represented Safanad in its US$1 billion joint venture to develop co-located data centers in North America and the acquisition of an initial portfolio of assets located in Texas. (2025)
Represented Ridgewood Infrastructure, LLC, a leading infrastructure investment firm, in its acquisition of RS Wilmington Terminal Holdings LLC, the holding company for the Port of Wilmington, Delaware, a full service deepwater port and marine terminal, from Savage RW Investments LLC. (2025)
Represented Lotus Infrastructure Partners, an energy and infrastructure private equity fund, in the $1.9 billion sale of its equity interest in seven modern natural gas generation facilities located across PJM, New England, New York and California to Vistra Corp. (2025)
Represented UBS Infrastructure, an infrastructure asset management firm, in the sale of its equity interests in Spinning Spur Wind Two, LLC. (2025)
Represented Lotus Infrastructure Partners, an energy and infrastructure private equity fund, in the sale of two renewable (landfill) natural gas projects located in Owensboro, Kentucky to RedTail Renewables Holdings, LLC, a leading renewable natural gas developer and operator. (2025)
Represented Tenaska Energy, Inc., in the acquisition of substantial minority interests in a portfolio of three combined-cycle natural gas-fired electric generating facilities from JERA Americas Inc., one of the largest energy providers and Japan's largest power generation company. (2025)
Represented Guggenheim Capital Partners in the sale of its stake in Middletown Energy Center, a natural gas-fired electric generation facility, to Arclight Capital Partners, LLC. (2025)
Represented Axium Infrastructure, a North American infrastructure private equity fund, in the sale of its equity stake in the Middletown Energy Center to ArcLight Capital Partners, LLC, a leading infrastructure fund. (2025)
Represented DESRI Asset Holdings, L.L.C., a global investment and technology investment firm, in the sale of its interest in three solar and solar/battery storage projects to a syndicate of family offices. (2025)
Represented Martin Marietta Materials, Inc., a leading international supplier of heavy building materials and Genuine Parts Company, a global automotive service organization, in the tax equity investment in a 143.2 MWAC solar photovoltaic energy generation facility in Navarro County, Texas. (2025)
Representing a private equity fund in its acquisition of an international portfolio of renewable natural gas assets. (2025)
Representing an infrastructure private equity fund in its pending acquisition of a multi-billion portfolio of renewable energy assets located in North America. (2025)
Representing Lotus Infrastructure Partners in connection with its pending $1.9 billion sale of a natural gas portfolio to Vistra Energy. See Press Release below. (2025)
Represented Macquarie Asset Management re its acquisition of a significant minority equity stake in D.E. Shaw Renewable Investments (DESRI), a large renewable energy company, for up to approximately $1.725 billion. (2025)
Represented Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets/Macquarie Asset Management re its pending acquisition of the controlling interests in Galehead Development, LLC, a leading Massachusetts-based renewable energy development platform. (2025)
Represented Abu Dhabi National Oil Company re its acquisition of 35% interest in Baytown Hydrogen and Ammonia Company from ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions Hydrogen Global. (2024)
Represented White Energy Holding Company, an ethanol producer and affiliate of a hybrid hedge/private equity fund, in connection with its merger with Gate City Renewables Fuel. (2024)
Representing Waste Management re a joint venture with a solar battery storage developer in the U.S.
Representing a London-based Private Equity Fund re its pending acquisition of a substantial minority interest in a leading U.S. hybrid hedge/private equity fund.
Represented Capital Dynamics re a sell side M&A transaction in the wind sector in the U.S. (2024)
Represented Emirates Global Aluminum re its pending acquisition of a majority equity stake in Spectro Alloys, a leading recycling aluminum alloy producer in the U.S. (2024)
Represented Mubadala, a UAE sovereign wealth fund re its potential acquisition of a substantial private equity interest in Brightspeed, a broadband company in the U.S. for approximately $7.5 billion alongside Apollo. (2024)
Represented Ridgewood Infrastructure re its pending preferred equity investment in MN8 Energy, one of the largest renewable energy companies in the U.S. (2024)
Represented Lotus Infrastructure in the sale of its membership interests in the 1.3 GW Compass Power Portfolio to Electrify Generating Public Company Limited (EGCO). (2024)
Represented Axium Infrastructure re its acquisition of Edwards Sanborn 1A and Edwards Sanborn 1B, a 1 GW+ battery storage project under development from TerraGen located in California. (2024).
Represented Arcelar Mittal re its sale of one of the largest companies in the steel sector in Kazakhstan to the Republic of Kazakhstan for over $1 billion. (2023)
Represented Hotwire Communications, a leading provider of fiber-to-the-home in the United States, in connection with a large private equity investment by Blackstone Tactical Opportunities and Blackstone Infrastructure Partners.
Represented Lightning Systems, Inc., an electric truck manufacturer, re its merger with GigCapital3, Inc., a special purpose acquisition company (or SPAC).
Represented OMERS Private Equity re its original acquisition and subsequent sale (many years later) of Marketwired, a press release distribution company, to NASDAQ.
Represented Harbinger Capital Partners LLC re its acquisition of Old Mutual U.S. Life Holdings, Inc., a life insurance business, for approximately $350 million.
Represented Instar Asset Management in the business combination of Oilfield Water Logistics (“OWL”), Instar’s portfolio company that develops and operates wells, conveyance lines and related facilities in the southwestern United States for the disposal of water incident to the production of oil and gas, and Pilot Water Solutions (“Pilot”), a long-term, full-service water midstream company with expertise in produced water gathering, sourcing, recycling and disposing.
Represented Macquarie Capital (USA) re its sale of Savion to Shell, consisting of a development pipeline of 18GW of solar and energy storage projects. The largest renewables development M&A deal to date.
Represented Brazil-based Vale re a tender offer bid for all of the outstanding shares of capital stock of NYSE-listed Alcan Inc. The winning bid was for $38 billion.
Represented OMERS Private Equity in its acquisition of Give & Go Prepared Foods.
Represented Axium Infrastructure re its acquisition of 100% of Upper Peninsula Holding Company from Basalt Infrastructure Partners.
Represented Starwood Energy Group Global, a leading private equity fund focused on energy infrastructure, re its $1.23 billion acquisition of 100% of the equity interests in the operating subsidiaries of two of Dominion Energy’s combined-cycle gas turbine plants.
Represented Southern Cross Private Equity in its acquisition of MorePharma, a Mexico based pharmaceutical distribution company.
Represented Axium Infrastructure re its acquisition of BlueWave, a leading Boston-based solar and energy storage developer.
Represented BlackRock (f.k.a. First Reserve), a Greenwich, CT-based private equity fund, in connection with the leveraged buyout from Apex Clean Energy and multiple financings of a 298 megawatt wind farm under development in Oklahoma. This transaction marked the first U.S. renewables acquisition by First Reserve and was named the Financial Deal of the Year at the 2015 Platts Global Energy Awards.
Represented Axium Infrastructure re its acquisition of a 49% equity interest in Constellation Renewables Partners, a 1,415 MW diversified portfolio of twenty-four wind and four solar assets, from Manulife Investment Management, acting on behalf of John Hancock Infrastructure Fund and its affiliates.
Represented the special committee of Bed Bath & Beyond in its acquisition of buybuy Baby.
Represented Brookfield Renewable Energy in its acquisition of a 292 MW hydroelectric power plant from Talen Energy for $860M.
Represented First Reserve re its sale of its energy/infrastructure portfolio to BlackRock.
Represented a co-lead investment bank as financial advisor to CNOOC Ltd., China’s largest producer of offshore crude oil and natural gas, re its $19.4 billion acquisition of Nexen Inc., an NYSE-listed upstream oil and gas company. This transaction was named “Global M&A Deal of the Year” by The American Lawyer.
Represented PSP in the 49% acquisition of the I-69 section 5 toll road located in Indiana.
Represented Capital Dynamics, a Swiss/NYC-based PE fund re its acquisition of an approximately 300MW portfolio of operating solar power plants located in California, Delaware and Arizona from LS Power.
Represented CIT Group on the sale of over 120 direct private equity interests to ProStar Equity Partners and over 100 LP interests to Goldman Private Equity.
Recognition and Honors
For more than a decade, Jonathan has been listed among the leading M&A and private equity lawyers in such guides as Chambers USA, Chambers Global and Legal 500, and has been referred to as “incredibly responsive and able to handle difficult negotiations and matters... results oriented.” He has been recognized as a leading M&A lawyer in Chambers USA in 2014-2015, 2020-2024, and in Chambers Global in 2014-2024. He has also been recognized as a leading U.S. Power and Renewables lawyer by Chambers USA in 2025. Jonathan was also recognized by Legal 500 U.S. as a leading U.S. Private Equity Buyouts lawyer in 2016-2024 and a Hall of Fame lawyer in 2025. Additionally, in 2011-2014 and 2017-2025 Jonathan was recognized by the Legal 500 U.S. for M&A as well as in 2013-2014 and 2017-2025 as a leading lawyer in the U.S. for Energy: Renewable/Alternative Power. Jonathan has also been recognized by New York Super Lawyers for M&A in 2010 and 2013-2019.
B.C.L., McGill University, Distinction, Dean’s Honour List
LL.B., McGill University, Distinction, Dean’s Honour List
B.A., McGill University, with Great Distinction, Dean’s Honour List, James McGill Scholar
New York
English
French
February 12, 2026
Chambers Global 2026 Recognizes King & Spalding as a Leading International Law Firm
January 23, 2026
K&S advises Safanad Limited in connection with the launch of a new U.S. data center platform, Element Critical
December 24, 2025
King & Spalding Advises Safanad and Partners on Launch of New U.S. Data Center Platform
Please see below for Jonathan’s sector-specific matters across: battery storage and solar, clean tech, carbon sequestration, alternative fuels, wind, energy services & infrastructure services, power, tax equity, digital infrastructure & TMT, real estate, transportation & logistics, financial services, SPAC, 363, preferred equity and metal.
Representative PE/M&A Battery Storage and Solar Matters
Advised DESRI Asset Holdings, L.L.C., a global investment and technology investment firm, in the sale of its interest in three solar and solar/battery storage projects to a syndicate of family offices. (2025).
Representing Waste Management re a joint venture with a solar battery storage developer in the U.S.
Represented Treaty Oak Clean Energy, a subsidiary of Macquarie Asset Management’s Green Investment Group, re the purchase of two utility-scale solar plus storage projects from affiliates of Galehead Development, LLC.
See more
August 25, 2025
Michigan Data Center Proposals Threaten to Trigger “Offramp Clause” in State Climate Law
February 12, 2026
Chambers Global 2026 Recognizes King & Spalding as a Leading International Law Firm
January 23, 2026
K&S advises Safanad Limited in connection with the launch of a new U.S. data center platform, Element Critical
December 24, 2025
King & Spalding Advises Safanad and Partners on Launch of New U.S. Data Center Platform
Please see below for Jonathan’s sector-specific matters across: battery storage and solar, clean tech, carbon sequestration, alternative fuels, wind, energy services & infrastructure services, power, tax equity, digital infrastructure & TMT, real estate, transportation & logistics, financial services, SPAC, 363, preferred equity and metal.
Representative PE/M&A Battery Storage and Solar Matters
Advised DESRI Asset Holdings, L.L.C., a global investment and technology investment firm, in the sale of its interest in three solar and solar/battery storage projects to a syndicate of family offices. (2025).
Representing Waste Management re a joint venture with a solar battery storage developer in the U.S.
Represented Treaty Oak Clean Energy, a subsidiary of Macquarie Asset Management’s Green Investment Group, re the purchase of two utility-scale solar plus storage projects from affiliates of Galehead Development, LLC.
See more
August 25, 2025
Michigan Data Center Proposals Threaten to Trigger “Offramp Clause” in State Climate Law
February 12, 2026
Chambers Global 2026 Recognizes King & Spalding as a Leading International Law Firm
January 23, 2026
K&S advises Safanad Limited in connection with the launch of a new U.S. data center platform, Element Critical
December 24, 2025
King & Spalding Advises Safanad and Partners on Launch of New U.S. Data Center Platform
B.C.L., McGill University, Distinction, Dean’s Honour List
LL.B., McGill University, Distinction, Dean’s Honour List
B.A., McGill University, with Great Distinction, Dean’s Honour List, James McGill Scholar
New York
English
French