Law firms Dealwatch: Magic Circle lead on £5.2bn Aviva takeover of Friends Life Sarah Downey · 2 December 2014 · 2 min read Corporate and M&A A&O Shearman Clifford Chance Linklaters 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 closes Hamburg office amid plans to refocus German operationsLaw firmsKate Peacock16 Apr 2026A&O Shearman promotes 33 new partners, nine in LondonLaw firmsWill Lewallen15 Apr 2026Five law firms win appointments on FCA’s ‘skilled person’ investigations panelLaw firmsTheresa Hargreaves13 Apr 2026Hogan Lovells and Cadwalader partners approve largest ever law firm mergerLaw firmsKate Peacock15 Apr 2026HSF Kramer leads on £1.4bn Ivy empire saleLaw firmsEliza Winter13 Apr 2026Ropes & Gray adds new private equity partner as Milan office growsLaw firmsWill Lewallen13 Apr 2026Revolving doors: Simpson Thacher, Latham, Sidley lead New Year London movesLaw firmsAnna Huntley9 Jan 2025‘Seize every opportunity’ – Paul Hastings partner Reena Gogna on City law, Suits and poetryLaw firmsAnna Huntley7 Jan 2025Five partners vie to succeed Hoyland as Simmons managing partnerLaw firmsTom Cox7 Jan 2025