Kirkland & Ellis LLP

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, CrowdStrike, 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.

Previously Cravath’s Head of Litigation (2010-2016) and Litigation Managing Partner (2005-2010).

NYU Law School, J.D.; Barnard College, B.A., summa cum laude.