Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) has taken a key corporate role for FTSE 250 engineering company Weir Group on the $1.3bn (£913m) acquisition of US mining equipment manufacturer Esco Corporation.

Weir, a provider of high-pressure pumping equipment to mining, oil and gas companies, announced the deal yesterday (19 April), while also confirming plans to sell off its flow control division to focus on its core platforms of minerals and oil and gas.

London corporate partner Mike Flockhart is leading the HSF team advising the Glasgow-based company, alongside City competition partner Kim Dietzel.

Flockhart told Legal Week: "This is a strategically significant transaction for Weir, the largest acquisition it has ever undertaken. Esco is the premium brand in its market, and Weir's acquisition significantly enhances its product portfolio and customer offering.

"We have seen a strong start to 2018, with a number of significant M&A deals announced across a range of sectors. This deal is further evidence that strategic transactions with a strong industrial logic can be executed notwithstanding the broader political uncertainties."

Sullivan & Cromwell is advising Weir on US law aspects of the deal, with a team led by New York corporate partners Matt Hurd and Scott Crofton, while Oregon-based law firm Stoel Rives is advising Esco – which is also based in Oregon – on the transaction.

Weir is a longstanding client of HSF, and in 2016 the firm won one of just two places on the company's inaugural global legal panel.

Baker McKenzie was appointed alongside HSF to advise on Weir's US and global operations, while Burness Paul and CMS were selected to advise on its European and UK business.