Dealwatch: Magic Circle lead on £5.2bn Aviva takeover of Friends Life Sarah Downey2 December 2014Corporate and M&A In one of the biggest deals the UK insurance sector has seen in years, Aviva‘s acquisition of Friends Life for £5.2bn has also gifted Magic Circle trio Linklaters, Allen & Overy and Clifford Chance with leading advisory roles.Your limit of 1 article in 30 days is up. Please login for full access or subscribe. Corporate users - click here for simple access (no password needed). For more information, please contact [email protected] Related ContentMore in this categoryLinklaters makes up 37 new partners with London securing more than a third of promotionsSpread of transatlantic firms in the mix on Unilever’s $45bn food business saleSidley hits Clifford Chance for heavyweight restructuring duo as firm’s London hiring gathers paceSkadden and Paul Weiss lead as Intel buys back $14bn Apollo stake in Irish semiconductor plantSpread of transatlantic firms in the mix on Unilever’s $45bn food business sale‘The merger is working’ – HSF Kramer on its US corporate pushRevolving doors: Simpson Thacher, Latham, Sidley lead New Year London movesFive partners vie to succeed Hoyland as Simmons managing partner‘Seize every opportunity’ – Paul Hastings partner Reena Gogna on City law, Suits and poetry