Slaughter and May and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer have won key roles on Unilever's €1.275bn (£1.17bn) bid for the personal care division of Sara Lee.

The deal, expected to close next year, will see Unilever aqcuire well-known brands such as Radox and Brylcreem.

Slaughters advised longstanding client Unilever on the deal, fielding a team headed by corporate finance partner Gary Eaborn and including competition partner Michael Rowe, pensions and employment partner Charles Cameron, commercial real estate partner David Weatherfield and intellectual property (IP) partner Cathy Connolly.

The firm worked closely with Unilever's European general counsel Robert Leek.

Sara Lee was advised by Freshfields, which ran a team of lawyers from both London and Amsterdam. Amsterdam corporate partner Shawn der Kinderer took the lead alongside tax partner Hans Galavazi and pensions and benefits partner Brechje Nollen. Sara Lee's in-house team was led by legal director Steve Coope.

The London team was led by relationship partner Jeff Roberts (corporate) and also included antitrust, competition and trade partner Alex Potter, employment partner Dan Schaffer, IP partner Avril Martindale and real estate partners Ursula Harriss and Emma Kendall.

Earlier this year Unilever bought haircare business TIGI for $411.5m (£257.1m) in a deal which saw Unilever's in-house team work alongside Cravath Swaine & Moore and Baker & McKenzie. Jones Day and London boutique Wallace advised TIGI.

The deal gave Unilever its first entry into the salon haircare market, with brands such as Bed Head and S-Factor.