Ropes & Gray’s Jane Goldstein Named “Dealmaker of the Week” by The American Lawyer

Ropes & Gray corporate partner Jane Goldstein, head of the firm’s retail & consumer brands group, was named “Dealmaker of the Week” by The American Lawyer for representing Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. in its proposed acquisition of Canadian gourmet coffee roaster Van Houtte from its private equity owner Littlejohn for CDN $915 million in cash.

The deal is the fourth Green Mountain acquisition Goldstein has steered to completion in the past two years. Since Green Mountain became her client, The American Lawyer says in its September 17 report that Goldstein has seen the company grow from a market capitalization of roughly $300 million to over $4.6 billion today.

Earlier this year, Ropes & Gray, led by Goldstein, represented Green Mountain Coffee in Luigi Lavazza S.p.A's agreement to buy $250 million of newly issued shares of common stock in the Vermont-based coffee company. Lavazza is one of the world's largest coffee manufacturers and Italy's top-selling espresso brand.

Other Green Mountain Coffee transactions handled by Ropes & Gray and Goldstein include the coffee company's:

• $290 million acquisition of Diedrich Coffee, Inc. in 2010.
• $165 million acquisition of Timothy's Coffees of the World, Inc. in 2009.
• multi-million dollar acquisition of Tully’s Coffee Corporation in 2009.
• offering of 4 million shares of common stock in 2009.

AmLaw credits Goldstein’s success to the close relationships she forms with her clients. According to the publication, “Goldstein believes in the power of keeping relationships percolating.”

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