Osborne Clarke is understood to be advising longstanding client Carphone Warehouse on the company's plans to separate its mobile phone business from its fixed line and broadband operations.

The UK's largest mobile retailer confirmed earlier this week that it is to split its telecoms business, TalkTalk, and its retail business into two separate listed companies, both of which could enter the FTSE 250.

Carphone Warehouse operates 2,400 mobile phone outlets across Europe as well as TalkTalk, a fixed line and broadband provider with 2.8 million subscribers. The company's chief executive, Charles Dunstone will become chairman of both firms.

Although Osborne Clarke declined to comment on the deal, it is understood that the firm's corporate head Adrian Bott is working closely with Carphone Warehouse's highly rated in-house team, which is headed up by general counsel Tim Morris.

Bott has a long relationship with company dating back to his time as a partner at Olswang, advising on the joint venture with AOL and last year's $1.1bn (£754,000) tie-up with US electronics retailer Best Buy.

Since its flotation in 2000, Carphone Warehouse has also worked with Ashurst and equity capital markets partner Steven Fox, as well as outsourcing its real estate work to Clyde & Co real estate partner David Wyatt.

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