Linklaters has landed a major role for one of the UK's most prolific private equity houses taking the lead on Apax Partners' sale of the Capio Group of healthcare clinics for an estimated £730m.

Linklaters has landed the lead role as the UK buy-out house and Scandinavian private equity firm Nordic Capital plan to sell a number of private hospitals around Britain for around £730m. Private equity partner Carlton Evans is understood to be leading the team.

Capio's UK portfolio includes 21 private acute hospitals and three mental hospitals, including the rehab and eating disorder recovery centre for the rich and famous, the Nightingale Hospital in north London.

The deal is a coup for Link-laters, as Apax was originally advised by Ashurst when it acquired Capio for €1.7bn (£1.15bn) in September.

Linklaters is not regarded as one of Apax's usual advisers as it is not a panel member. In the UK, the buyout house usually instructs panel members Ashurst, Weil Gotshal & Manges and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.

However, in 2005, Link-laters' Swedish arm won it a role advising Apax on its €950m (£647m) acquisition of local surgical and wound care product manufacturer Monlnlycke from Nordic Captial and Bure Equity.

Linklaters declined to comment.