DEALS OF THE WEEK 12.04.2001

Well-healed deal: East Midlands-based Harvey Ingram Owston advised on the 15 million sell-off of national shoe retail chain Jones Bootmaker by Italian fashion house Prada.

The firm represented a consortium of three businessmen, while Prada was advised by Northamptonshire-based Hewitson Becke & Shaw.Most road-worthy deal: Denton Wilde Sapte advised the Highways Agency on its 160 million Traffic Control Centre public private partnership.

Serco-owned Traffic Information Services landed the ten-year contract, which will provide IT information services for road users.

The deal was financed by Westdeutsche Landesbank, represented by DLA.

Clifford Chance advised Serco.Luvviest deal: London-based Howard Kennedy is acting for the Ralph and Meriel Richardson Foundation, a charity for struggling actors, which is set to benefit from the auction of the late actor Sir Ralph Richardsons collection of art, antiques and theatrical memorabilia.

Individual pieces are expected to make up to 3,000.Best publicised deal: Linklaters acted for CityLink Telecommunications in a moving image advertising deal with London Underground, a spin-off of the Connect private finance initiative.

The contract, potentially worth 500 million, will involve images being projected onto large screens opposite platforms.

Freshfields represented London Underground.Most stimulating deal:PricewaterhouseCoopers associated law firm, Landwell, acted on the 9 million flotation of coffee bar operator Caffe Nero.

Eversheds acted for the sponsor, Collins Stewart.Most touristy deal: Field Fisher Waterhouse acted for Ordnance Survey on PointX, a deal to create an index of millions of places of interest around Britain.

Property information specialist Landmark Information Group was represented by Hewitson Becke & Shaw, while Moorcrofts advised database developers Red Volcano.Best shelved deal: Cheltenham firm Rickerby Watterson acted for the sellers in the 13 million management buy-out of the UKs leading supplier of racking and shelving, Rapid Racking.

Burges Salmon advised the buyers.

Rickerby also advised Rapid Racking and Barclays Bank on the purchase of the companys premises from the Ministry of Defence, advised by Michelmores.