Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett have won a major European mandate alongside German firm Hengeler Mueller, advising on global investment firm KKR's public company takeover offer for German digital publishing house Axel Springer.

Axel Springer, which is the largest digital publishing house in Europe and owns multimedia news brands such as Bild, Die Welt, and Fakt, will be valued at about $7.7 billion as a result of the takeover.

Freshfields is leading for KKR on M&A aspects of the transaction. The Magic Circle firm's nine-strong team is made up of Frankfurt-based corporate partners Andreas Fabritius and Heiner Braun, as well as pensions partner Rene Döring, and Duesseldorf-based M&A partners Nicholas Guenther and Norbert Schneider, antitrust partner Katrin Gaßner, and employment partner Thomas Müller-Bonanni. London-based corporate partner Doug Smith rounds out the team.

Simpson Thacher is advising on the financing of the KKR public offer. Finance partner Ian Barratt is leading for the U.S. firm.

The Hengeler team advising Axel Springer includes Duesseldorf corporate partners Andreas Austmann and Carsten Schapmann, Berlin corporate partner Stefan Richter, Frankfurt corporate partner Joachim Rosengarten, Frankfurt capital markets partner Wolfgang Groß, and Duesseldorf antitrust partner Alf-Henrik Bischke.

This week saw another large-scale deal take place in Europe when Clifford Chance, Norton Rose Fulbright and Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom took roles on Daussault Systemes' acquisition of Medidata Solutions in France.