Simmons & Simmons’ role in the battle to acquire Safeway has come to an end after an announcement by retail entrepreneur Philip Green on 30 October that he has pulled out of his takeover bid.

This leaves Ashurst Morris Crisp client WM Morrison with a clear path to buy Safeway – advised by Clifford Chance in the £3bn supermarket battle – after the other bidders, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Tesco, were blocked by the UK’s Competition Commission on 1 September.