Weil Gotshal & Manges London head Mike Francies led a team advising private equity houses Blackstone and Lion Capital on their £1.27bn acquisition of Cadbury Schweppes' European drinks business. Slaughter and May corporate partner Tim Boxell advised regular client Cadbury, while Allen & Overy banking partner Jacqueline Evans advised debt financiers Bank of America, Citigroup and JP Morgan.

Kirkland & Ellis M&A partners Matthew Hurlock and James Learner led a team representing Vestar Capital Partners on the sale of Italian company FL Selenia to Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co (KKR) in a secondary buy-out for more than 835m (£572m). Tax partners Ian Taplin and Greer Phillips also advised. Acquisition finance partner Tony Keal at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett advised KKR.

Allen & Overy corporate partner Patrick Speller has advised UK packaging company Rexam on its proposed £147m acquisition of Precise Technology. Sanford Perl, a Chicago corporate partner at Kirkland & Ellis, advised Precise Technology.