Allen & Overy (A&O) and Weil Gotshal & Manges have taken lead roles on the $615m (£412m) sale of Kettle Foods.

US snacks group Diamond Foods is set to buy the crisp manufacturer from current owner Lion Capital in a cash deal, which was definitively agreed last month (25 February).

A&O has advised Diamond on UK aspects of the deal in a first-time instruction for the firm, while Weil Gotshal advised its longstanding client Lion on both UK and US law. US firm Fenwick & West advised Diamond in the US.

City corporate partners Ian Stanley and Gillian Holgate led the A&O team advising Diamond, which also included a group of City partners from practices including tax and intellectual property.

Fenwick's team was led by M&A and private equity co-head Doug Cogen and corporate partner Lynda Twomey, both of who are based in San Francisco.

City partners Andrew McLean and Mike Francies led Weil Gotshal's UK team on the deal, while New York corporate partner Scott Parel headed up the team in the US, supported by antitrust partner John Scribner.

The agreement will see Diamond take over Kettle's operations in both the US and the UK with the deal expected to close by the end of Diamond's fiscal year 2010, subject to regulatory approval.