Credit Suisse First Boston has been called in by Schneider Electric to advise on the French group's blocked €7.9bn ($7bn) bid for the electrical manufacturer Legrand, according to sources close to the company.

The appointment has fuelled speculation that Schneider is preparing a revised bid for Legrand, following the French appeal court ruling last week that its offer was too low. This came despite the decision by the French stock market regulator to clear the bid when it was first announced in January. The deal had been due to complete in March.