Deals of the week - 03.07.2003

Most majestic deal: Bristol's Osborne Clarke advised Majestic Wines and its majority shareholder, the Apthorp family, on a placing that raised 14.25 million and increased liquidity in Majestic's shares.

Norton Rose acted for broker Teather & Greenwood.

Best published deal: City firm Lewis Silkin acted for the administrators of Trident Publishing, Tenon Recovery, on its sale to Lionel Leventhal, which owns fellow military publisher Greenhill Books and was advised by City firm Royds RDW.

Most gaseous deal: Linklaters acted for BP on the $740 million sale of 49% of its interest in the In Salah gas project and 50% of its interest in the Amenas gas project, both in Algeria, to Statoil, advised by Lovells.

They are Algeria's third and fourth largest gas developments.

Statoil and BP will work with Sonatrach, the Algerian state oil and gas company, in joint operation of the two projects.

Most mutual deal: Addleshaw Goddard is acting for Portman Building Society, the fourth largest in the country, on its proposed merger with the 18th largest, Staffordshire Building Society, the biggest building society merger for eight years.

Allen & Overy is representing Staffordshire, which will be rebranded as The Staffordshire in its region, while the group retains the Portman name and its mutual status.

Best cleared deal: Clifford Chance is acting for the London Clearing House, the clearing house for the London Stock Exchange, on its proposed merger with Clearnet, the central counterparty clearing house for the continental European Euronext exchanges and certain other trading platforms.

US firm Cleary Gottlieb is advising Euronext, Clearnet's majority shareholder.

Best hired deal: Milton Keynes firm Kimbells acted for asset rental company Dawsongroup on its purchases of Temporary Kitchens, advised by Hereford firm Gabbs, and asset finance brokerage company LHE Finance, advised by Trethowans in Salisbury.

Most northerly deal: City firm Clyde & Co advised oil exploration and production company Faroe Petroleum, the only independent oil and gas company focused on the north Atlantic, on its admission to the Alternative Investment Market, valuing the company at 44 million.

Travers Smith Braithwaite represented the broker and nominated adviser, Williams de Bro.