Allen & Overy (A&O) and Paul Hastings took lead roles as China's Shuanghui secured $4bn (£2.56bn) in debt finance for its takeover of the world's largest pork producer.

The Hong Kong meat processing giant, which offered to buy Virginia-based Smithfield Foods for a price of $7.1bn (£4.7bn) earlier this year, said it had entered into a facilities agreement with a group of banks which would allow it to raise funds for the acquisition.

Advising Shuanghui International Holdings on Hong Kong and New York law was US firm Paul Hastings, who also provided counsel to the company on M&A, employment, finance, intellectual property and tax issues when the buyout was first agreed.