Deals of the Week - 04.07.2002

Most inspired deal: Norton Rose acted for the Archbishops' Council of the Church of England on a national agreement granting infrastructure provider Quintel S4, advised by Ashurst Morris Crisp, approved status for telecommunications installations in churches.

Quintel will be able to develop a network of multi-user mobile telecoms base stations in towers and spires of participating parish churches.

Speediest deal: London firm The Projects Partnership acted for the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames on an 80 million private finance initiative deal with Jarvis, which will build, operate and maintain six primary schools in the borough.

Berwin Leighton Paisner advised Jarvis, Pinsent Curtis Biddle advised senior debt funder NIB Capital Bank, and Ashurst Morris Crisp advised Barclays as subordinate debt provider.

The project was the second quickest ever, moving from selection of preferred bidder to closing in 15 weeks and five days.

Most convenient deal: SJ Berwin and Irish firm Arthur Cox are acting for Irish grocery and food distributor Musgrave Group on its bid for Budgens, advised by Herbert Smith, which values the company at 315 million.

Linklaters represented Barclays Capital, Musgrave's arranger and underwriter on bank facilities.

Most secure deal: Clifford Chance acted for Hitachi Credit on its first securitisation, a 200 million consumer loan securitisation arranged by the Royal Bank of Scotland, advised by the London office of US firm Weil Gotshal & Manges.

Newest deal: South-east firm Thomas Eggar acted for West Bromwich Mortgage Company (part of West Bromwich Building Society) on the acquisition for an undisclosed sum of the residential mortgage portfolio of New World, the UK mortgage lending division of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, advised by Allen & Overy.

Best-aimed deal: DJ Freeman acted for start-up insurance company PRI Group on its admission to the Alternative Investment Market to raise around 130 million, the largest amount raised in the market's history.

Nabarro Nathanson acted for Collins Stewart, nominated adviser and broker.

Barlow Lyde & Gilbert acted for Sirius International Insurance Corporation on the sale of the dormant Sirius (UK) Insurance to PRI.

Xchanging, to which PRI has outsourced all underwriting back-office and administration services, was advised in-house.

US firm McDermott Will & Emery advised PRI's executive directors on employment issues.

Coldest deal: Macfarlanes and US firm Debevoise & Plimpton acted for CDRP Acquisition, an investment vehicle established by private equity group Clayton Dubilier & Rice, on its 434 million purchase of Brake Bros, which supplies frozen, chilled and fresh food to the catering industry in the UK and France.

Brake Bros was represented by Simmons & Simmons.