Clifford Chance (CC) and Slaughter and May are advising as US food giant Kraft Foods attempts to takeover Cadbury.

Cadbury announced today (7 September) that it had rejected a £10.2bn offer made by Kraft at the end of August, however the US company is still committed to reaching a deal.

CC was called in to advise Kraft on the proposed bid, with London corporate heavyweight Guy Norman taking the lead for the firm.

He is being assisted by corporate finance partner Rob Crothers in London and New York corporate partner Sarah Jones.

Meanwhile, Cadbury has turned to long time adviser Slaughter and May, where corporate partners Steve Cooke and Tim Boxell are heading the team.

Should the deal go through it will combine Cadbury's brands such as Dairy Milk, Twirl and Flake with Kraft's empire, which includes Oreo Cookies, Ritz Crackers and Toblerone chocolate.

The combined company would have an estimated $50bn (£30.5bn) turnover.

The proposed deal would mark a further example of global consolidation in the food sector after Mars purchased Wrigleys last year for $23bn (£14bn).

That deal saw Simpson Thacher & Bartlett advising Mars in New York under corporate partners John Finlay and Kathryn Sudol, while Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom advised gum manufacturer Wrigleys under the lead of Chicago corporate partners William Kunkel and Byron Vance.

Clifford Chance on the Legal Week Wiki

Slaughter and May on the Legal Week Wiki