Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Hogan Lovells and Ashurst have taken lead roles on the £4.7bn takeover bid for Northumbrian Water by a Hong Kong consortium.

Freshfields has won the lead role for the consortium – which is led by Cheung Kong Infrastructure (CKI) – and is fielding a London-based team headed by corporate partners Piers Prichard Jones and Edward Braham (pictured), working alongside Hong Kong corporate partner Simon Weller.