Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Linklaters, Hengeler Mueller and Latham & Watkins have picked up key roles as industrial gas giant Linde sells its US assets, as part of its bid to win regulatory approval for its mega-merger with rival Praxair.

The German company has agreed to sell its North and South American assets to a private equity consortium including CVC Capital Partners Fund VII and Messer Group for €2.8bn (£2.5bn).

The sale comes as both Praxair and Linde offload a slew of international assets in order to satisfy competition authorities and allow their $35bn merger announced in December 2016 to go ahead.

Hengeler and Linklaters are advising Linde on the latest sale. Hengeler has taken the lead corporate role on the deal, fielding a team  led by Duesseldorf M&A partner Matthias Hentzen and Emanuel Strehle in Munich. Linklaters' team is headed by Munich M&A partner Timo Engelhardt, New York antitrust partner Thomas McGrath and Brussels antitrust partner Bernd Meyring.

Freshfields is advising both CVC and Messer, with Munich corporate partner Kai Hasselbach and Duesseldorf M&A partner Stephan Waldhausen at the helm. M&A partner Omar Pringle is leading Freshfields' team in New York, working alongside Washington DC partner Paul Yde.

Latham's Germany managing partner Oliver Felsenstein and Frankfurt-based corporate partner Leif Schrader are also advising CVC on the deal.

Earlier this month, McDermott Will & Emery and Greenberg Traurig took roles on the sale of Praxair's European assets – with a base purchase price about €5bn (£3.8bn) – to Japanese rival Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corporation (TNSC). Greenberg advised TNSC on the deal, with McDermott Will & Emery acting for Praxair.

On the merger itself, Hengeler Mueller is advising Linde alongside Cravath Swaine & Moore and Linklaters, with Sullivan & Cromwell advising US company Praxair. Linklaters is also providing antitrust advice to Linde throughout the merger.