Anne Cox-Johnson
Partner
Overview
Anne Cox-Johnson is a corporate attorney in Holland & Knight's Atlanta office. Ms. Cox-Johnson advises public and private companies, boards and private equity-backed companies on complex transactions and related business, governance and strategic matters, with a particular focus on mergers and acquisitions (M&A), strategic investments and corporate transformations.
With more than 30 years of experience, Ms. Cox-Johnson guides clients through acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, strategic investments, carve-outs and recapitalizations.
Ms. Cox-Johnson works with companies across a wide range of industries, including food and beverage, consumer products, technology, healthcare, telecommunications, manufacturing, real estate, retail, restaurants and pharmaceuticals.
Ms. Cox-Johnson has significant experience advising private equity-backed companies on M&A and other strategic transactions throughout their ownership life cycle. Drawing on her prior experience representing private equity sponsors, she brings an understanding of the company and sponsor perspectives, along with the commercial, governance and execution considerations that shape these transactions.
Ms. Cox-Johnson has extensive experience in sophisticated M&A transactions involving multinational companies. Her experience includes strategic acquisitions and divestitures, billion-dollar mergers and significant matters in the beverage industry involving leading alcohol and nonalcohol brands. Clients value her ability to manage complex deal dynamics, coordinate multidisciplinary teams and guide transactions efficiently from negotiation through closing.
Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Ms. Cox-Johnson was an attorney at a global law firm.
Representative Experience
- Represented Bronya Shillo, All Night Long Inc. and All Night Long LLC in the sale of the Fishers Island Lemonade brand – a leader in the premium ready-to-drink alcohol category – and related assets to E. & J. Gallo Winery
- Represented Campari Group in its purchase of an initial 70 percent interest – with an option to acquire the remaining 30 percent interest – of the outstanding capital of Wilderness Trail Distillery LLC
- Represented Waterbird Spirits in its sale to E. & J. Gallo Winery
- Represented Cana Holding U.S. LLC in connection with its acquisition of a majority interest in Portovino LLC, a New York-based importer and distributor of European wines
- Represented Veritiv Operating Company in connection with its acquisition of S. Walter Packaging Corp., Ducks Opco LLC (d/b/a Subotnick Packaging) and Pack4 LLC and Pack4 PR LLC
- Represented White Cap L.P. in connection with its acquisition of BrownCo Manufacturing & Sales LLC, Bend Construction Supply Inc., National Ladder & Scaffold Company LLC, WWJ Rebar LLC, Rebar Solutions LLC, Investors Supply LLC b/d/a ERSCO Construction Supply, Valley Supply Inc., TOOFast Supply LLC, American Contractors Supply LLC and Reinforcing Concepts LLC, Advanced Forming Solutions LLC and Concrete Systems Inc., and El Paso Concrete Systems Inc.
- Represented The Coca-Cola Company in connection with its entry into a global relationship with Brown-Forman Corporation to bring Jack & Coke as a branded, ready-to-drink (RTD) premixed cocktail to market
- Represented The Coca-Cola Company in connection with its entry into a global relationship with Pernod Ricard to bring Absolut Vodka & Sprite as a branded, ready-to-drink (RTD) premixed cocktail to market
- Represented The Coca-Cola Company in connection with its entry into a global relationship with Bacardi International Ltd. to bring Bacardi & Coke as a branded, ready-to-drink (RTD) premixed cocktail to market
- Represented The Coca-Cola Company in connection with the sale of certain U.S. production facilities to Refresco
- Represented The Coca-Cola Company in connection with its $1 billion sale of its bottling operations in Vietnam and Cambodia to Swire Pacific Ltd.
- Represented The Coca-Cola Company in connection with its sale of its minority interest in ThaiNamthip Corporation Ltd., a Coca-Cola bottler with operations in Thailand and Laos, to Swire Coca-Cola Limited
- Represented The Coca-Cola Company in a series of transactions involving the restructuring of The Coca-Cola Company's U.S. bottling system, including transfers of territories, distribution agreements and manufacturing arrangements
- Represented The Coca-Cola Company in connection with its acquisition of Sacramento CocaCola Bottling Company
- Represented The Coca-Cola Company in connection with its investment in ZICO Beverages LLC
- Represented The Coca-Cola Company in connection with its entry into Myanmar
- Represented The Coca-Cola Company in connection with its entry into a distribution and licensing arrangement with McDonald's USA
- Represented The Coca-Cola Company in connection with its entry into a distribution and licensing arrangement with Dunkin' Donuts
- Represented Anderson Holdings in the sale of its wholesale beverage distribution business in the U.S. and British Virgin Islands to Clare Holdings LLC
- Represented Asurion in connection with its acquisition of Soluto Ltd.
- Represented Asurion in connection with its acquisition of UBREAKIFIX Holdings Inc.
- Represented Asurion in connection with its acquisition of Catalina Labs Inc.
- Represented Sun Nuclear Corp. in its sale to Mirion Technologies, Inc.
- Represented EMS Technologies Inc., a leading provider of connectivity solutions for mobile networking, rugged mobile computers and satellite communications, in connection with its $491 million sale to Honeywell International Inc.
- Represented Eclipsys Corporation in its $1.3 billion stock-for-stock merger with AllscriptsMisys Healthcare Solutions Inc.
- Represented Cirrus Industries Inc., a manufacturer of airplanes and a portfolio company of Arcapita Bank BSC(c), in connection with its sale to an affiliate of the China Aviation Industry General Aircraft Co. Ltd.
- Represented Sprint Nextel Corporation in connection with its $830 million acquisition of its affiliate iPCS Inc.
- Represented Novelis Inc. in connection with its $6 billion merger with Hindalco Industries Ltd.
- Represented Novelis Inc. in connection with a sale of certain assets to American Industrial Partners
- Represented Roark Capital Group in connection with its acquisition of Pet Valu
- Represented the special committee of the board of directors of Books-A-Million Inc. in connection with a going-private transaction with a newly organized entity owned by the Anderson family
- Represented Cellu Tissue Holdings, a manufacturer of tissue products, in connection with its $500 million sale to Clearwater Paper Corporation
- Represented a private company in connection with a $4 billion self-tender offer
- Represented Lodgian Inc., one of the nation's largest independent hotel owners and operators, in connection with its cash merger with an affiliate of Lone Star Funds
- Represented SP Newsprint Co. in connection with the sale of all of its partnership interests to certain affiliates of White Birch Paper Company
- Represented a private company in a $4.5 billion self-tender offer
- Represented a private company in a $3 billion self-tender offer
Credentials
- Vanderbilt University Law School, J.D.
- University of Tennessee, B.A.
- New York
- Georgia
- American Bar Association
- Georgia Bar Association
- New York State Bar Association
- The Best Lawyers in America guide, Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, 2023-2026
- Chambers USA – America's Leading Business Lawyers guide, Corporate/M&A, 2024-2026
- The Legal 500 USA, Recommended, 2023, 2025
- Georgia's Most Powerful and Influential Women, Georgia Diversity Council, 2014
- Order of the Coif