Linklaters and Hogan & Hartson have secured the coveted lead roles on the £4.5bn hostile takeover bid by Harmony Gold, the South African gold miner, for rival Gold Fields.

The bid, which is one of the biggest deals of the year and would create the world’s biggest gold producer, sees Hogan acting as global counsel to Harmony with Linklaters advising Gold Fields. Unsolicited bids are typically complex and highly lucrative for M&A advisers.