Sard Verbinnen & Co is assisting Hillshire Brands in its $4.3B acquisition of Pinnacle Foods, announced this week.

pinnacleParsippany, N.J.-based Pinnacle Foods includes brands like Duncan Hines, Vlasic, Mrs. Butterworth's and the Lender's, Birds Eye and Celeste frozen foods brands.

Hillshire, based in Chicago, engaged Sard Verbbinen for the deal, said senior manager of communications, Matthew Pakula.

The company is paying $18-per-share, a 70% premium on Pinnacle's 2013 IPO share price and 20% above its May 9 price, and giving Pinnacle shareholders half shares of Hillshire. Blackstone Group, which bought Pinnacle for $2.2B in 2007, took Pinnacle public last year and owns 51%.

Maria Sceppaguercio is senior VP of IR and communications for Pinnacle.

The deal is expected to close by September.

Bloomberg noted Pinnacle's frozen foods were likely the jewel among its brands for Hillshire, which wants to add more healthful offerings to its meat offerings like Jimmy Dean.