There was a surge in billion-dollar M&A deals last week, with both Shire and Activision Blizzard making $5.9bn (£3.8bn) purchases.
Davis Polk & Wardwell, Ropes & Gray and Slaughter and May advised Dublin-based pharmaceutical company Shire in its acquisition of US biotech company Dyax, which turned to Sullivan & Cromwell.
Shire is a longstanding client of Davis Polk and Slaughters, with the firms advising on AbbVie’s planned takeover of the company last year. Meanwhile Ropes and Slaughters are also working with Shire on its $34bn (£21.8bn) bid for Baxalta, announced in August.
In the second $5.9bn transaction reported last week, Activision Blizzard bought Candy Crush maker King Digital Entertainment.
Debevoise & Plimpton, Allen & Overy and Mason Hayes & Curran worked with Activision Blizzard, while King Digital received legal counsel from William Fry and Fenwick & West.
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