Ashurst, Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson and Linklaters have landed plum roles on two multi-billion pound deals – NTL's £9bn approach for ITV and Scottish Power's £12bn sale.

Ashurst and Fried Frank teamed up to secure the mandate to jointly advise NTL on its approach for ITV.

The two firms, which held failed merger talks in 2003, are advising the telecoms giant as it emerges as a bidder for the UK television broadcaster, in a deal that would be worth around £9bn.

Ashurst is fielding a team under corporate partner Robert Ogilvy-Watson, while London-based US-qualified corporate partner Robert Mollen is leading for Fried Frank.

It is currently unclear which firm is advising ITV. Lovells is the historical lead counsel for ITV, although Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has been winning an increasing amount of work in recent years.

An ITV representative said that the company had yet to instruct an adviser on the NTL approach but added that Lovells remained its lead corporate counsel.

Private equity giants Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co and Permira are also understood to be considering bidding for ITV.

Meanwhile, Linklaters is in line to advise Scottish Power ahead of possible bids for the utilities company which could be worth around £12bn.

The magic circle firm is understood to be in the process of advising the company on a takeover approach announced on 8 November, thought to be by Spanish utilities giant Iberdrola. It is currently unclear who is advising Iberdrola. Clifford Chance has had dealings with the Bilbao-based group in the past.

The mandate would be significant for Linklaters, as Scottish Power has in the past been advised by rival Freshfields. However, with so much activity in the energy sector recently, it is possible that Freshfields was conflicted out of acting on this occasion. The firm is advising Gas Natural on its bid for Spain's Endesa.

Commenting on the M&A activity, Freshfields London corporate partner David Higgins said: "It is a sign of where we are in the market. Large public takeovers of this sort in this kind of market is what corporate lawyers are all about. Money is cheap, the market is benign – it is what you would expect."

Both deals were first reported on legalweek.com (9-10 November).