Telecommunication mast TV antennas wireless technology with blue sky in the morning

Magic Circle duo Clifford Chance and Linklaters are advising on a major acquisition by telecommunications giant Cellnex.

The Spanish company is acquiring U.K. infrastructure provider Arquiva's telecoms tower business for £2 billion.

Cellnex is one of Europe's largest mobile mast operators. If the deal completes, it will add about 8,000 U.K. sites to its portfolio. The deal is expected to close in the second half of next year.

Clifford Chance is advising Cellnex on the acquisition, with its team led by its corporate co-head  Melissa Fogarty and partner Joel Ziff.

Arqiva Telecoms is being advised by Linklaters. The firm's team includes corporate partner Jessamy Gallagher, competition partner Simon Pritchard, U.K. competition head Nicole Kar, telecommunications, media and technology sector co-head Julian Cunningham-Day, finance partner Reza Taylor and sovereign wealth fund sector co-head David Martin.

Earlier this year, Linklaters advised on the £600 million London listing of major African telecoms company Airtel Africa.

Headquartered in London, Airtel Africa is a telecommunications and mobile money services company with offices across 14 countries in Africa.

The Linklaters team advising on the deal was led by equity capital markets partners Pam Shores and John Lane. The Magic Circle firm is set to share £5 million in legal fees with rival Allen & Overy for its role opposite on the deal, which in September was the largest European listing so far this year.