US pair Willkie Farr & Gallagher and McDermott Will & Emery have scooped lead roles on Russian steel group Severstal’s €450m (£309m) acquisition of Italian steel giant Lucchini, acting alongside top Italian boutique Grimaldi & Associati.

The deal, approved by the debt-ridden company’s board of directors, sees Severstal acquire a 62% stake in Lucchini, Italy’s second-largest steel manufacturer.