Key Food Stores Acquires 23 A&P Stores

Ropes & Gray is representing Key Food Stores Co-operative, Inc. in its planned acquisition of 23 stores from The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company (A&P). The acquisition is the result of Key Food's bid to acquire A&P stores following the latter's filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on July 20. Key Food will operate two of the stores under corporate oversight, the first for the member-owned co-operative.

The acquisition of all 23 stores, announced Oct. 21, is expected to be completed by mid-November.

The Ropes & Gray team was led by business & securities litigation partner Robert Fischler (New York) and mergers & acquisitions partner Jane Goldstein (Boston/New York) and included business restructuring partner Mark Bane (New York); finance partner Alyson Allen (Boston); real estate & environmental partner Peter Alpert (Boston); labor & employment partner Peter Ebb (Boston); executive compensation & employee benefits partner Jonathan Zorn (Boston); antitrust partner Jonathan Klarfeld (Washington, D.C.); and tax partner Eric Elfman(Boston).