Deals of the week - 12.09.2002

Most in-credit deal: Denton Wilde Sapte advised MBNA Europe Bank on its acquisition of Alliance & Leicester's 800 million credit card portfolio.

The agreement means MBNA owns the credit card receivables and will manage the card programme under the Alliance & Leicester brand.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer acted for Alliance & Leicester.

Highest deal: Surrey firm Stevens & Bolton acted for Berkeley Morgan Group on its recommended cash and shares offer for OFEX-quoted independent financial adviser Summit Financial Holdings, advised by regional firm Shoosmiths.

Most howzat deal: Local firm Freethcartwright advised Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club on the new staging agreement with the England and Wales Cricket Board, advised in-house, which has secured the status of Trent Bridge as a test match ground until 2011.

It is the first long-term agreement the board has signed with a ground.

Most fashionable deal: City firm Fox Williams acted for Karen Millen Holdings on the purchase of well-known women's fashion retail chain Whistles, advised by City firm Hobson Audley.

Fittest deal: Clifford Chance is acting for Cannons Group on its recommended cash offer for rival fitness centre group Holmes Place, advised by Norton Rose, which values the company at 203 million.

Best drawn deal: City firm Nicholson Graham & Jones acted for home gaming company Sportech on its 1.4 million acquisition of the Zetters football pools business from Zetters International Pools, represented by Simmons & Simmons.

Most explosive deal: Nottingham firm Browne Jacobson acted for the explosives division of Exchem in a joint venture with Orica, advised by north-west practice DWF, to combine their manufacturing activities into a single facility.

They are the only two UK companies to manufacture specialist explosives for use within the mining and quarrying industries.

Best turned-down deal: City firm SJ Berwin acted for Marylebone Warwick Balfour on the refinancing of the Malmaison hotel chain, which was done working around the clock in ten days.

Newcastle-based Dickinson Dees acted for Bank of Scotland.

Most valued deal: City firm Speechly Bircham acted for Dividend Directory - owner of the Dividend and Derivatives Directory - on its acquisition for an undisclosed sum of Totem Market Valuations, a leading provider of derivative valuation services, advised by Fox Williams.