Wragge & Co LLP has been appointed to advise Birds Eye following a competitive pitch process. A team led by Intellectual Property (IP) partner Cerryg Jones has won a full service mandate, becoming the frozen food giant's preferred legal adviser in the UK.

Cerryg Jones said: "This is a real coup and we are very pleased to have impressed Birds Eye and won this role. We've already started working on some interesting matters and look forward to a successful working relationship."

The core Wragge & Co team comprises commercial, real estate, brands, corporate, antitrust and regulatory partners David Lowe, Chris Hunt, Michael Luckman, Richard Haywood, Simon Taylor and John Cooper. IP associate Kate Swaine is client service manager.

Current instructions include advice in relation to food labelling, licensing issues and a major real estate project. The team will work alongside Group Legal Counsel and Company Secretary Anthony Barratt.

Anthony Barratt said: "Following a thorough review of our legal requirements, we have chosen to appoint Wragge & Co as our main firm for a full range of legal advice. We will also work with DLA Piper, Beachcroft and Clifford Chance on specific matters."

DLA Piper has been instructed on an IT project, Beachcroft LLP will handle ongoing litigation and Clifford Chance will continue to handle trade mark registration work.

Birds Eye is the UK's biggest frozen food producer, generating sales worth £836 million last year and employing about 3,500 across Europe. It is owned by private equity firm Permira Funds, who acquired the company in a £1.15 billion deal with Unilever in November 2006.

Wragge & Co is a major UK commercial law firm advising FTSE 350 companies, government departments and other public sector bodies, and international blue-chip businesses. So far in 2007, the firm has won a lead role advising major corporate Specialist Computer Holdings and a place on Taylor Woodrow's property panel.

Other highlights from the past six months include advising on the privatisation of Kenya and Uganda's railways, a £400 million real estate transaction for The Peabody Fund and the £1.5 billion sale of telecoms company The Caudwell Group.

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For further information about this press release, contact Kathryn Hobbs on +44 (0)121 213 2397, Alexa Highfield on +44 (0)121 213 2396 or Michelle Dolphin on +44 (0)121 213 2369

This press release may contain information of general interest about current legal issues, but does not give legal advice.