US firms Kirkland & Ellis and Paul Weiss have rolled out a heavyweight line up of London partners to act on the sale of eastern European media and communications company United Group to private equity house BC Partners for a reported €2.6bn (£2.3bn).

Global investment firm KKR is selling its majority share in United Group, but will retain a minority stake.

The Kirkland team is being led by star London partners David Higgins, Stuart Boyd and David D'Souza and includes debt finance partners Neel Sachdev, Matthew Merkle, Daniel Borg and Shawn Anderson, antitrust partner Paula Riedel and tax partner Tim Lowe.

KKR is being advised by a Paul Weiss team led by City corporate partner Alvaro Membrillera, who joined the US firm as its first London lateral hire last year.

Simpson Thacher high yield partner Nick Shaw advised United Group and KKR on financing aspects of the deal.

Higgins joined Kirkland last year as its London co-managing partner and is well known as one of the top private equity lawyers in the City. His clients include Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Hellman & Friedman, Cinven and Blackstone.

Kirkland advised freight shipping operator UN Ro-Ro's private equity owners Actera Group and Esas Holdings on the sale of the company to Danish shipping and logistics company Det Forenede Dampskibs-Selskab (DFDS) for about €950m (£822m) in April, with a team led by London corporate partner David Arnold. Baker McKenzie advised DFDS on the deal.

Meanwhile, a Simpson Thacher team including London private equity partner Ian Barratt and M&A partner Clare Gaskell advised on a significant acquisition for KKR last year when it bought consumer foods giant Unilever's spreads division for £6.5bn. Magic circle firms Linklaters and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer also took roles on the deal.