Herbies and Skadden lead on News Corp's £7.8bn BSkyB bid

Herbert Smith corporate partners Malcolm Lombers and Stephen Wilkinson are leading for longstanding client BSkyB on the M&A front, with additional input from competition partner Elizabeth McKnight and US corporate finance partner Jim Wickenden.

Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp turned to Skadden corporate partners Michael Hatchard and John Adebiyi in London and Howard Ellin and Lou Kling in New York.

News Corp currently owns 39.9 per cent of the UK satellite broadcaster and has entered into negotiations to purchase the remaining 60.1 per cent. The media giant will now seek regulatory approval for the transaction.

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton and Hogan Lovells are acting for News Corp on competition aspects.

A Cleary team led by Brussels partner Francisco Enrique González-Díaz is advising the media giant on EU competition clearance. For Hogan Lovells, competition partners John Pheasant in London and Catriona Hatton in Brussels are advising on UK and Irish aspects respectively.

For Hogan Lovells, the deal is the first with Hogan legacy client News Corp since its merger with Lovells was completed earlier this year. Both partners are Hogan legacy partners.

Allen & Overy and Bird & Bird are also understood to have minor roles acting for News Corp.