Linklaters and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison landed lead roles on a since aborted $143 billion takeover bid for London-based Unilever plc by Pittsburgh-based Kraft Heinz Foods Co., a megamerger that would have united two of the world’s largest food companies.
Unilever, owner of brands like Hellmann’s mayonnaise, Lipton tea, Dove soap and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, said over the weekend that it saw “no merit, either financial or strategic,” for its shareholders in the takeover attempt by Kraft Heinz. The latter was formed last year following a $40 billion merger between Kraft Foods Group Inc. and H.J. Heinz Co., a deal that generated lead roles for dozens of legal advisers.
