Davis Polk & Wardwell and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton's City arms have taken lead roles on Agilent's $2.2bn (£1.4bn) acquisition of Danish cancer diagnostics company Dako from private equity house EQT Partners.

New York firm Davis Polk, which advised longstanding client EQT, fielded a London and New York-based team led by City-based US-qualified corporate partner Jeffrey O'Brien. New York of counsel Stephen Pepper provided antitrust advice with New York partner Neil Barr advising on tax matters. Danish independent Kromann Reumert advised Agilent on Danish law.

The California-based company, which makes measurement and testing gear, confirmed it had acquired Dako in a bid to expand its life sciences business after reporting slowing sales growth for the 2011 financial year.

The company instructed rival Manhattan firm Cleary, with London corporate partner Michael McDonald leading a City team which also included antitrust partner Romano Subiotto QC and tax partner Richard Sultman.

Danish firm Accura took the lead on local law for EQT, with corporate partner Thomas Weincke at the helm.

The mandate comes nearly six months after Davis Polk launched an English law corporate practice with the hire of corporate heavyweight Simon Witty from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.

The move had been expected since Davis Polk shifted from its traditional focus on US law in 2010 to launch a Hong Kong law practice with the hire of several high-profile partners from Freshfields and Linklaters.