Kelley Drye Represents Tata in Acquisition of Eight O’Clock Coffee

Kelley Drye advised Tata Coffee, a 51%-owned subsidiary of Tata Tea that is part of the Tata Group, in the acquisition of the U.S.-based Eight O’Clock Coffee Company, from Gryphon Investors. The acquisition, which will be financed through a combination of equity and non-recourse debt, is in line with Tata Coffee’s plans to enter the U.S. market. The Tata Tea Group of Companies, which includes Tata Tea and the U.K.-based Tetley Group, today represent the world’s second largest global branded tea operation with product and brand presence in 40 countries. Among India’s first multinational companies, the operations of Tata Tea and its subsidiaries focus on branded product offerings in tea but with a significant presence in plantation activity in India and Sri Lanka.