Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Linklaters, Shearman & Sterling and Bredin Prat have taken roles on Schneider Electric’s £3.4bn takeover of British engineering company Invensys.

France’s Schneider announced on Wednesday its intention to acquire the entire stock of Invensys, in what would be the second-largest foreign purchase of a British company this year after Liberty Global’s £15bn buyout of Virgin Media.