Deals of the Week 08.02.2001Most equitable deal: City firm Lovells is acting for Equitable Life Assurance Society's policyholders on the agreement with Halifax Group for Halifax to acquire Equitable's operating assets, sales force and non-profit and unit-linked business for a payment of up to 1 billion into Equitable's with-profits fund.

It is also acting on a proposed scheme, under section 425 of the Companies Act 1985, to achieve a compromise between policyholders with guaranteed annuity rate policies and those with non-guaranteed annuity rate policies.

Halifax is represented by Linklaters & Alliance.

Most adventurous deal: London firm Lawrence Jones acted for 2i Capital PCC, a venture capital fund launched in Mauritius.

It is the first foreign venture capital fund to receive registration under the Securities and Exchange Board of India.

US firm Kirkpatrick & Lockhart advised on US regulatory and tax issues.Most occupied deal: Nabarro Nathanson advised Slough Estates on the 33 million sale of its long leasehold in 150 Aldersgate Street - occupied entirely by City law firm Theodore Goddard under a sublease which expires in 2015 - to the Topland Group, advised by Nicholson Graham & Jones.

Best designed deal: CMS Cameron McKenna and US firm Thatcher Profitt & Wood acted for the UK Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) on its agreement to form a research and development joint venture company with Ford Motor Company, advised in-house.

The US-based company, Holographic Imaging, will create a 'three-dimensional, interactive imaging workstation prototype' and allow Ford to create full-scale virtual models of prototype vehicles, accelerating and streamlining the vehicle design process and improving quality.Most luxurious deal: London firm Nellen acted for luxury goods brand Halcyon Days - one of only seven companies with four Royal Warrants - on its sale to Alphco for an undisclosed amount.

Alphco, advised by Goodman Derrick, was set up by Peter Norman, former managing director of Givenchy UK.

Most creditable deal: Taylor Joynson Garrett advised Carnegie Holdings and the management team in the 108 million management buy-in of Clydesdale Financial Services, the consumer credit subsidiary of retail giant Next, advised by Eversheds.

Clifford Chance, Pinsent Curtis and Ashurt Morris Crisp acted for funders Bank of America, Barclays Private Equity and Intermediate Capital Group respectively.