Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton are among a long list of leading US law firms to have advised on the US Government’s dramatic rescue of failing mortgage giants Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.

Wachtell advised the US Treasury on the rescue deal, which at the weekend saw the US Government take effective ownership of the ailing mortgage giants, which guarantee huge amounts of US mortgage-based securities.