Smiles all round as Slaughters and Wachtell lead on Colgate deal

The transaction will also see Unilever buy a portfolio of Colombian brands from Colgate for $215m (£134m).

Corporate partner Gary Eaborn led the Slaughters team acting for longstanding client Unilever, with employment partner Charles Cameron, IP partner Cathy Connolly, tax partner Sara Luder and competition partner Michael Rowe also featuring.

Wachtell acted for Colgate, fielding a team led by corporate  partner Joshua Cammacer.

Ashurst advised Colgate on the competition aspects of the deal. Brussels-based competition partner Alexandre Vandencasteele and corporate partner Nick Bryans led for the City firm, alongside tax partner Richard Palmer and pensions partner Steve Hull.

Stephenson Harwood acted for monitoring trustee Baker Tilly with a team featuring competition head Julianne O’Leary and corporate partner Andrew Edge.

The sale comes after the EU Commission ruled that Unilever should divest the Sanex range in Europe following its acquisition of Sara Lee in 2009.