Elite U.S. firm Simpson Thacher & Bartlett has won the lead role advising Melrose on the spin-off of its GKN automotive branch, renamed as Dowlais.

British manufacturing investment group Melrose, which completed a hostile takeover over British industry group GKN in 2018, announced its plans to float GKN’s automotive, powder metallurgy and hydrogen businesses into Dowlais, named after the original Welsh industrial village, back in early March.