Linklaters and Herbert Smith have taken the lead roles on Vodafone’s £1.8bn takeover of mobile phone operators MobiFon and Oskar Mobile – securing the largest telecoms deal ever in the Central Eastern European (CEE) region.

The deal, which follows on from Vodafone’s failed bid for AT&T Wireless last year, sees the UK telecoms giant acquire the two companies from Canadian group Telesystem International Wireless (TIW).