George E. Bonini

Overview

George has more than 26 years of experience as a business and tax attorney assisting clients across a diverse set of industries such as financial services, real estate, technology, retail, manufacturing and clean, green and renewable energy.

George advises companies regarding complex financial arrangements, cross-border transactions, mergers and acquisitions, tax matters, securities issues, and private equity transactions. He also provides general business counsel and has assisted in the closing of thousands of business transactions. He has built a particularly strong reputation among clients for his ability to find creative financing, corporate and joint venture solutions for national and international clients operating in the green, clean and renewable energy sectors.

Many clients have relied on George since their inception, speaking to his ability to not only structure legal solutions that facilitate growth, but also build multi-faceted partnerships that provide tailored solutions throughout all stages of growth and business maturity. George leads teams that represent clients through all stages including formation, capitalization and exit. George has successfully closed debt and equity financing of all types and sizes, in both private and public markets and with investors groups around the world. As a seasoned practitioner advising growing clients facing a range of issues, George is experienced with coordinating other areas of legal service as clients needs evolve, including everything from litigation, to IP and employment law. 

George has extensive experience working with complex, often tax-driven transactions; he has assisted numerous clients with tiered partnership structures, the adoption of profit interest plans and equity incentive plans, and structured and closed all varieties of IRC 368 transactions. Lastly, George has experience in helping clients resolve tax disputes with the Internal Revenue Service and state and local tax authorities.

George often assists private investment vehicles and investment advisors in structuring funds and complying with applicable securities laws. George has extensive experience drafting, reviewing and negotiating complex contracts and preparing general business agreements, often involving complex tax issues.

Professional Activities

• American Bar Association, Member
  • Member of Business and Taxation sections
• Foster Garvey, Managing Director
  • Seattle office, 2026-present
• Washington State Bar Association, Member

Experience

Representative Matters:

• Represented Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in a landmark acquisition of more than 300,000 square feet to expand their campus in Seattle. Our team led the acquisition, including joint venture agreements, 501(c)(3) tax issues, leasing and property acquisition. We were able to close the deal in a short timeline and enable the client to further its groundbreaking cancer and infectious disease research and care.
• Represented an investment firm specializing in energy transition and sustainability in their going private transaction which was a critical turning point and how it will raise capital going forward. As our team has been representing the client since its inception, including serving as U.S. counsel in their original public offering and numerous joint venture projects all over the world, this deal shows our ability to serve our clients throughout all stages.
• Represented a leading professional services provider in restructuring their equity compensation plan. This was vital in planning for the next generation of leadership.
• Represented a Seattle-based wealth management company founded in 2009 with $300 million assets under management in its $12 million sale to a private equity funded national investment advisor.
• Represented a Delaware-based LLC in the formation and rollout of Series LLC reinsurance companies.
• Represented a hospitality company in an equity offering in the acquisition of a hotel in central Washington. The entity formed to own the hotels was the result of a collaboration between a local business owner and an existing hospitality company in Washington. We were able to put together a team that can advise on all of the real estate, corporate, transactional and unique hospitality aspects of the deal.
• Represented the private equity backed sellers in liquidating approximately Pacific Nortwest medical practices, most of which were in western Washington and some in Oregon.
• Acts as U.S. securities and tax counsel to one of the most significant global technology and infrastructure finance companies in their sponsorship of a massive disposition of a power plant in Brazil. Our client is a significant sponsor of this deal, involving one of the leading energy companies in Brazil, which also explores biofuels and other clean energy sources.
• Represented WasteFuel, a biofuels company that converts bio-based municipal and agricultural waste into lower-carbon fuels, in its Series B financing with bp Ventures. This financing enabled the client to be part of a joint venture in Türkiye to convert waste fuel into marine biodiesel.
• Represented a large cruise provider and tourism and entertainment company in a highly significant transaction and corporate reorganization. Our team served as U.S. borrowers counsel in a nine-figure debt transaction.
• Represented a long-time Washington agricultural producer in a $75 million credit facility enabling a corporate reorganization and consolidation of corporate structure. This matter was a two-part loan, one for real estate and one for a general operating line of credit.
• Represented a long-time client in the ESG space in a series C financing with a well-known financier in the ESG sector. The financing enables the client to build a factory to explore and test its clean fashion technology.
• Represents a leading Pacific Northwest sports team as corporate counsel. We have represented this client since its inception and throughout its rapid growth.
• Represented an global executive as an individual in their appointment as chairman of the board of an artificial intelligence (AI) data center startup. As the AI industry will need large amounts of energy from a wide variety of energy sources, our team’s experience with clean, green and renewable energy sectors make us an ideal fit.
• Represented a hospitality industry focused fund in their formation and capitalization.
• Acted as U.S. securities and tax counsel to a U.S. cannabis companies in the RTO transactions to the TSX.
• Represented a multi-family private office in their acquisition of an island in the Bahamas. 

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