Sullivan & Cromwell (S&C) and Simpson Thacher have taken the lead roles on Anheuser-Busch InBev's $5.8bn (£3.5bn) reacquisition of Korea's Oriental Brewery from KKR and Affinity Equity Partners.

The two firms have reprised their 2009 mandates, when AB InBev initially sold the South Korean company to KKR for $1.8bn (£1.1bn), including debt.

S&C acted for long-time client AB InBev, while Simpson Thacher was handed the mandate by KKR, with M&A partner Mark Pflug leading.

S&C partner Michael DeSombre is leading for AB In-Bev on the deal, having also acted on the 2009 mandate.

The white shoe firm has also acted as the lead adviser to Anheuser on sevearl of its major transactions, with New York-based corporate partner and private equity group co-head George Sampas holding the firm's relationship.

In 2008, Sampas was part of a team which led on the $60.8bn (£37bn) merger between Anheuser-Busch and InBev, as well as a number of subsequent cross-border and international deals, including last year's $20.1bn (£12.2bn) acquisition of the remaining stake not owned by the company in Mexican brewer Grupo Modelo.

Simpson Thacher carries out a large amount of deals for New York-headquartered KKR, recently fielding a London team on the buyout house's purchase of SBB/Telemach Group, the leading Pay-TV and broadband operator in South-East Europe, and the purchase of Japan's Panasonic Healthcare for $1.67bn.

In October Simpson found itself acting on the other side from KKR, when it represented Melrose Industries on its $1bn (£627m) sale of construction manufacturing assets Crosby and Acco to the private equity group.

Following the sale of Oriental Brewery to KKR in 2009, the private equity group sold on half its stake in the Korean company to Affinity Equity Partners, a deal which saw Linklaters' Korea group advise Affinity.