Hogan Lovells and Clifford Chance (CC) have landed the leading advisory roles on Investindustrial and KKR's sale of helicopter operator Avincis to Babcock in a deal valued at around €2bn (£1.65bn).

British engineering group Babcock will acquire all of the issued shared capital of Avincis, which is owned by the private equity groups. Avincis provides mission-critical helicopter and fixed-wing services, and supplies critical offshore crew-change helicopter services to the oil and gas industry in the North Sea and Australia.

Hogan Lovells is acting for Investindustrial with a team led by private equity partner Ed Harris, who was flanked by senior associates Leanne Moezi and David Harrison.

The deal marks one of the first major mandates for Harris since his move from SJ Berwin alongside Moezi this February.

Investindustrial bought Avincis in 2005, with KKR subsequently taking a minority stake in 2010. Harris, then at SJB, advised Investindustrial on the deal.

KKR is instructing Simpson Thacher & Bartlett on the deal, with London M&A partner Alvaro Membrillera leading for the US firm.

CC is representing Babcock with a team led by corporate partners Lee Coney and Caroline Sherrell.

Meanwhile, Ashurst corporate partner Bruce Hanton is advising management at Avincis.

Harris also led when Hogan Lovells advised Investindustrial on the sale of a 50% stake in PortAventura, an entertainment park in Southern Europe, to KKR, a deal which closed this February.