Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy advised the Philip Green consortium to bring in a magic circle firm to its Marks & Spencer (M&S) team as the US firm did not have the capability to run a £9bn takeover bid alone, it has emerged.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer scooped the role to advise the Philip Green consortium last month, in what looks set to be the biggest UK deal of the year.