Most high-flying deal: City giant Allen & Overy advised BNP Paribas and Mediobanca as joint global co-ordinators on the initial public offering in Italy by Aeroporto di Venezia Marco Polo, the operator of Venice Airport. City firm Slaughter and May and Italian firm Bonelli Erede Pappalardo acted for the company.

Easiest deal: City firm Reynolds Porter Chamberlain acted for Easyscreen, the electronic trading solutions company, on its recommended takeover by Refco Trading. The London office of Salans acted for Refco.


Creamiest deal: North-west firm Brabners Chaffe Street advised Starcross Foods, owner of a dairy in Derbyshire, on its £17 million acquisition by Dairy Crest. The London office of Eversheds acted for the purchaser.


Most searching deal: City firm Speechly Bircham advised the sellers of Omnium Communications, operator of financial services Internet directory www.find.co.uk, on a management buy-in (MBI). Birmingham and London firm Wragge & Co acted for Electra Quoted Management and FF&P Private Equity, which backed the MBI.


Cheapest deal: City firm Stephenson Harwood is acting for St Martins Property Group on the £50 million redevelopment of 150 Cheapside in London. Construction of the new building is due to start in October.


Most social deal: Wragge & Co advised Shropshire County Council on its £17 million private finance initiative deal with Integrated Care Solutions for the provision of six new social services and community facilities across the county. Bristol-based Bevan Brittan advised the consortium behind Integrated Care Solutions, while the London office of US firm LeBoeuf Lamb Greene & MacRae acted for funder NIB Bank.


Best trailed deal: City firm Berwin Leighton Paisner acted for Transamerica Finance Corporation on the sale of its European trailer leasing business for an undisclosed sum. US firm Cleary Gottlieb advised the purchaser, a joint venture owned by Goldman Sachs Mortgage Corporation and Cerberus Capital.


Most clear-sighted deal: Leeds firm Walker Morris has acted for the shareholders of Ultralase, the provider of laser eye surgery, on its sale to Corporacion Dermostetica for £30 million. City firm Taylor Wessing acted for the Spanish buyer.