Sullivan & Cromwell, Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson and Morgan Lewis & Bockius have taken the lead roles on German pharmaceuticals firm Bayer’s $14.2bn (£8.4bn) acquisition of US rival Merck’s consumer care business.

The deal is the latest in a series of blockbuster mandates for the pharma industry, and follows Pfizer’s £63bn approach for AstraZeneca, which would be the largest takeover of a UK listed company in history.