Herbert Smith has picked up a role advising drug company Warner Chilcott on the UK aspects of its $3.1bn (£1.8bn) acquisition of the pharmaceutical business of Procter & Gamble (P&G).

The City firm advised regular client Warner Chilcott alongside Davis Polk & Wardwell, with the deal approved earlier this week (24 August).

The Herbert Smith team was headed up by corporate partner Alex Kay, who worked alongside fellow corporate partner Gareth Roberts.

US firm Davis Polk took the lead role for Warner Chilcott, fielding a large team headed by New York-based global M&A head George Bason.

Warner Chilcott, which earlier this month re-domesticated its business from Bermuda to Ireland, focuses on women's healthcare and dermatology products in the US. The deal sees it pick up a selection of products from P&G, as well as manufacturing facilities in Germany and Puerto Rico.

Covington & Burling took the lead for P&G, fielding a team headed by New York M&A partners Scott Smith and Andrew Ment, supported by intellectual property partner Andrea Reister and regulatory partner Grant Castle. Covington worked alongside P&G's in-house team, which included transaction specialists Joseph Stegbauer and Mary Pat McMahon.

Covington's London office also advised, with London of counsel Peter Cooke providing employment advice and associate Joanna Wheeler providing regulatory advice.

Davis Polk also advised Warner Chilcott on its move from Bermuda to Ireland, with Irish firm Arthur Cox giving local advice and offshore firm Appleby acting as Bermuda counsel.