Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom and Cravath Swaine & Moore have landed leading advisory roles as Swiss chocolate company Lindt & Sprungli has agreed a deal to buy US rival Russell Stover.

The acquisition would create the third-largest chocolate manufacturer in North America. The addition of family-owned Russell Stover, which a turnover of roughly $500m, is expected to boost the Kilchberg-based company’s turnover to $1.5bn in North America in 2015.