City firms Norton Rose and Travers Smith have landed roles on Commerzbank's E1bn (£740m) sale of its UK asset management arm, Jupiter.

The duo advised the company's management and its backer, TA Associates, on the deal, worth slightly more than E1bn, acting opposite Clifford Chance (CC).

Norton Rose corporate partner Simon Sackman and acquisition finance partner Ashley Allton advised the management. Travers Smith corporate partner David Innes acted for US-based buy-out house TA Associates, which funded the transaction. Innes was assisted by corporate associate Caroline Murphy and banking partner Jeremy Walsh.

TA Associates, a relatively new client for Travers, has a focus on asset management buy-outs and manages more than E7.7bn (£5.2bn), with more than E2bn (£1.4bn) invested in financial services companies.

The agreement will see senior management buy out Jupiter by July 2007 and will allow Commerzbank, Germany's second-largest bank, to concentrate its business on its core domestic market.

Jupiter employs more than 450 staff and has £19.2bn under management. In the past, the company has handed a regular stream of work to Simmons & Simmons and Norton Rose.

In 2001 Norton Rose advised Jupiter on the launch of two trusts, Jupiter Financial & Income Trust and Jupiter Global Green Trust.

The transaction is subject to regulatory clearance, which is expected by early summer.