Sandra Goldstein

Sandra Goldstein is a litigation partner in Kirkland’s New York office and was a member of the Firm’s Executive Committee. She has a broad litigation practice, with a particular focus on securities, M&A and commercial disputes. Her clients have included 3G Capital, Barnes & Noble, Constellation Brands, Grubhub, Honeywell, IBM, J. Crew, Novartis, Pitney Bowes, Qualcomm, Starwood Hotels, Target, United Airlines and Xerox.

Sandra represents clients, including corporations and their boards, in all manner of securities litigation—stock drop class actions, shareholder derivative suits, litigation demands—often securing pretrial wins, including a major summary judgment victory in a multibillion dollar securities fraud class action lawsuit. She has also regularly represented clients in contemplated or hostile transactions, with a cumulative value of hundreds of billions of dollars, and has aided clients in navigating complex corporate governance issues. Sandra is lead courtroom counsel, winning dozens of favorable decisions after oral argument at both the trial and appellate court levels concerning dispositive motions, motions for preliminary injunctions and expedited discovery. Recently, Sandra had two major victories for Constellation Brands. First, in March 2023, she secured a unanimous verdict after a two-week trial against Grupo Modelo, which is owned by Anheuser-Busch, by persuading the jury that hard seltzer is beer under the applicable contract. Then, in March 2024, Sandra successfully argued the defense of the Second Circuit appeal in that matter, which the Court affirmed in full. She also routinely advises boards, in house counsel and company executives on litigation and corporate governance considerations at various stages of a deal, in collaboration with the Firm’s transactional attorneys.

Sandra has repeatedly been recognized as a leading lawyer by numerous professional publications. She has been recognized as a “Distinguished Leader” (New York Law Journal), “Notable Woman in Law” (Crain’s), “Litigation Trailblazer” (New York Law Journal), “Securities MVP” (Law360) and one of the “Top 10 Woman in Litigation” (Benchmark Litigation), “Litigator of the Year” (Chambers USA), “Litigation Trailblazer” (National Law Journal) and one of the “25 Most Influential Women in Securities Law” (Law360). In both 2023 and 2024, Sandra was named a BTI Client Service All-Star, the only attorney recognition relying solely on clients for feedback, and she is one of only four lawyers nationwide who were named by more than one client. The clients praise Sandra as being “incredibly smart” and “a truly great listener” who “is always available and will always provide the best and most appropriate response.”

Sandra is ranked in Band 1 by Chambers USA for Securities Litigation. She is also recognized in Legal 500’s “Hall of Fame” category for Securities Litigation and M&A Litigation (one of only eight lawyers) and as one of Legal 500’s Leading Trial Lawyers. According to Legal 500, Sandra is “at the very top of the list of M&A litigators — few, if any, can match her tenacity and skillful advocacy” and Law360 has called Sandra a “tough litigator and incisive strategist.”