Deals of the week 07.11.2000

Sweetest deal: Clifford Chance and US firm Arnold & Porter are advising General Electric Company on the competition aspects of its $45 billion (31 billion) tax-free merger with Honeywell International, the largest ever industrial acquisition.

Allen & Overy is advising Honeywell, along with US firm Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom.

Crumbliest deal: Herbert Smith advised Associated British Foods on the 130 million sale of Burton's Gold Medal Biscuits, makers of Wagon Wheels and Jammie Dodgers, to Hicks Muse Tate & Furst, represented by US firm Weil Gotshal & Manges.

Most blue-chip deal: Andersen Legal advised TP Group, the consortium made up of a host of leading financial institutions, which owns 56% of Tradepoint Financial Networks on its 198 million deal with the Swiss Stock Exchange to create the pan-European virt-x Stock Exchange.

Linklaters acted for Tradepoint and Simmons & Simmons for the Swiss Stock Exchange.

Best plumbed deal: Manches is advising the management team on the 442 million purchase of Caradon's plumbing division.

The deal, one of the largest buy-outs of the year, involved HSBC Private Equity buying the business, with the management team taking a minority stake in the new purchasing company.

Eversheds acted for HSBC and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer for Caradon.

Dib-dib-dob deal: Mishcon de Reya acted for the Scout Association on the sale of its Baden-Powell House headquarters to Cheval Property Holdings, advised by Allen & Overy.

Newsiest deal: Norton Rose is advising Trinity Mirror on its285 million recommended cash offer for Southnews, advised by Rowe & Maw.

Five-star deal: Amery-Parkes acted for Nick Menzies, chairman and founder of Menzies Hotels, on his 58 million management buy-out of the company.

Gouldens represented BancBoston Capital and Indigo Capital on their financing; Lee Crowder and CMS Cameron McKenna advised the institutional vendors.

Most Shakespearian deal: Whitehouse & Co acted for The Performance Company on the 1 million sale and leaseback of the film 'The Merchant of Venice' to the Millennium Film Partnership, advised by Davenport Lyons.

The film is a stage-to-screen adaptation of Trevor Nunn's award-winning National Theatre production and was directed by Mr Nunn.