Over a dozen firms won roles last week on what is being billed as the largest UK M&A transaction between brewing giants Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) of SABMiller.
Last week, AB InBev formally announced its £71bn bid for rival SABMiller while also securing a $12bn spin-off sale of the MillerCoors joint venture in the US.
On the latter deal, Kirkland & Ellis teamed up with Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton to advise Molson Coors Brewing Company, which joined with SABMiller in 2007 to create MillerCoors.
AB InBev is meanwhile being supported on both transactions by Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Sullivan & Cromwell and Cravath Swaine & Moore, with the target SABMiller receiving legal advice from from Cleary, Linklaters and Hogan Lovells.
A range of other firms won roles elsewhere, such as Herbert Smith Freehills, Macfarlanes, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett and Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz who are all working with SABMiller’s shareholders. Clifford Chance is representing the controlling shareholders of AB InBev.
Not content with being the only magic circle firm left out, Allen & Overy is advising the lenders of a $75bn loan facility to finance the bid.
Also on TheLawyer.com:
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- A whole host of UK, Dutch and US firms won roles on Europe’s largest bank listing since 2008 of ABN AMRO
- A&O advises new client Gym Group on IPO alongside Clifford Chance
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