Weil Gotshal & Manges has taken a lead role advising on the DKK12.4bn (£1.4bn) initial public offering (IPO) of Danish food company Chr Hansen.

The Weil Gotshal team advising on the flotation was headed up by capital markets partners James Cole and Peter Schwartz, assisted by associates Jesse Zigmund, Aparna Ravi and Augustine Bourne.

Chr Hansen, which supplies bioscience ingredients to the food, health and animal feed industries, was taken private by French private equity firm PAI Partners in 2005 in a deal valuing the company at €1.1bn (£911m).

Weil Gotshal PAI relationship partners David Aknin and Jean Beauchataud were also involved in the listing.

Cole commented: "We are delighted to share in the success of PAI's first IPO exit. This transaction adds to our strong track record of representation in private equity IPO exits on a number of European exchanges."

Meanwhile, Linklaters advised the underwriters on English and US law. Credit Suisse and JP Morgan acted as joint global coordinators, while Credit Suisse, Danske Markets, JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley and SEB Enskilda acted as joint bookrunners and Carnegie Bank and Credit Agricole as co-lead managers.

The Linklaters team was led by corporate partner Brigid Rentoul, assisted by corporate managing associate James Thompson and US associate Devon Kirk in London.

Denmark's Bech-Bruun and Gorrissen Federspiel also took roles on the deal, advising Chr Hansen and the underwriters respectively on Danish law.

This listing is a further sign of a recovery in the IPO market after several high-profile floats were abandoned or postponed late in the process earlier this year.