Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom, Allen & Overy (A&O) and Sidley Austin are among the firms to have taken roles on German pharmaceutical company Merck’s $17bn (£10.5bn) acquisition of US laboratory supplies business Sigma-Aldrich.

Merck turned to Skadden as lead corporate advisers, which was announced last week. The firm is fielding a team that includes London-based M&A partner Hilary Foulkes, New York partners Peter Atkins and Neil Stronski and Frankfurt partner Katja Kaulamo.