Gibson Dunn & Crutcher's London office has scooped US-based Serena Software as a new client by advising the software specialist on its £206m cross-border merger bid for UK company Merant.

The offer sees NASDAQ-listed software specialist Serena offer £136.5p in cash and 0.05 of new shares in Serena for each share in London-listed Merant in a rare example of a US-to-UK cash and stock offer.

The Gibson Dunn team was led by US-qualified partner Kenneth Lamb and UK-qualified partner Judith Shepherd, both of whom are based in the US giant's 25-lawyer City practice.

The deal, backed by the management of both companies, would create the world's second largest management software business with almost 900 employees.

The Los Angeles-based firm won the role ahead of Serena's traditional adviser, West Coast leader Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati which does not have a presence out-side of the US, because Gibson Dunn could provide both a US and UK law capacity.

Merant were advised by Macfarlanes corporate partners Simon Martin and Mary Leth, with Hogan & Hartson representing the company on US aspects through Baltimore-based partner Michael Silver and London partner John Basnage.

Merant's financial adviser was UBS Investment Bank, represented by Linklaters. Serena's financial adviser was Lehman Brothers, which used its in-house legal team.