Weil is representing the Barilla Group, a fourth-generation family-owned international food company, in its definitive agreement to acquire GOODLES, a Santa Cruz, California-based mac and cheese brand. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including applicable regulatory approvals.

The Barilla Group, founded in 1877, is an international food company with brands in pasta, sauce and bakery goods, operating in more than 100 countries. Founded in 2020 as Gooder Foods, Inc., GOODLES offers boxed mac and cheese with premium nutrition and a wide variety of bold, adventurous flavors, and is distributed in the U.S. in major and independent retailers. Upon the close of the transaction, GOODLES will remain headquartered in Santa Cruz and will continue to operate as a standalone brand, with Co-founder & CEO Jen Zeszut continuing to lead the GOODLES team.

The Weil team is led by Mergers & Acquisitions partners Michael J. Aiello and Michelle Sargent and includes Mergers & Acquisitions counsel Brandon Nesfield, associates Jess Serviss and Ryan D'Arco and law clerk Stephanie Young (Not Yet Admitted in New York); Executive Compensation & Benefits partner Victoria Rosamond and associate Emily Warren; Technology & IP Transactions partner Dennis Adams, counsel Maryann Thompson and associates Chika Amene, Brendan McNerney and Izzy Wang (Not Yet Admitted in New York); U.S. Antitrust Co-Head Brianne Kucerik, partner Mark Seidman, counsel Lisa Pieters and associate Meghana Appalaraju; Regulatory Transactions partner John O'Loughlin and associate Christina Carone; Complex Commercial Litigation partner Claire Chapla and associate Caroline Voelker; M&A Tax and International and Cross-Border Tax Head Devon Bodoh, associate Zachary Torres and law clerk Isabela Silva de Carvalho Cantarelli (Not Yet Admitted); U.S. Privacy & Cybersecurity Head Olivia Greer and associate Sabrina Chishti; Employment partner Peter Mee and associates Kate Belsito and Kaitlyn Sivertsen; Environmental partner Seth Kerschner and associate Caleb Holland; Real Estate Co-Head Jannelle Seales and associate Subrina Chowdhury; Banking & Finance partner Anne Seymour and associate Laura Ceitlin; Foreign Investment & Trade partner William Phalen; and Regulatory Transactions partner Ariel Fliman.