London-headquartered brewer SABMiller has announced that its general counsel (GC) John Davidson will stand down at least six months after the completion of its takeover by Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev).

The two sides said earlier this week they expect the deal to complete on 10 October.

Davidson became SABMiller's first GC in 2006 after joining from legacy firm Lovells.

He will continue to assist with "critical tasks" such as integration, talent retention and stakeholder management, according to details of the combined company's structure published today.

Sabine Chalmers, who currently holds the position of chief legal and corporate affairs officer, will become GC of the newly merged business.  She will also remain corporate affairs officer. Chalmers joined the drinks manufacturer from Diageo, where she was GC for North America.

The majority of other leadership positions at the newly merged company will also go to executives from AB InBev.

The news comes nearly a year after SabMiller first announced that the world's largest brewer intended to make a bid proposal for the company.

Freshfields is advising AB InBev on the merger with a team comprised of London M&A partner Mark Rawlinson, London head of corporate Simon Marchant and antitrust partner John Davies.

Linklaters is advising SABMiller with a London team led by corporate partners Nick Rumsby and Charlie Jacobs. Brussels-based partner Gerwin Van Gerven is advising on competition issues.

AB InBev owns beer brands including Budweiser, Corona and Stella Artois, while SABMiller is home to brands such as Fosters, Grolsch, and Peroni.

A successful tie-up would rank as one of the largest corporate deals in history. Other recent mega-deals include Shell's £47bn acquisition of BG Group, which completed earlier this year, and Vodafone's $130bn (£84bn) sale in 2013 of its 45% stake in US mobile operator Verizon Wireless.