Deals of the week - 13.06.2002

Homeliest deal: Wragge & Co acted for Bryant Homes on a planning agreement with two councils for a 21-hectare 'urban village' next to west London's Grand Union canal.

Ashurst Morris Crisp advised the London Borough of Ealing, with the London Borough of Hillingdon advised in-house.

Most resourceful deal: Barlow Lyde & Gilbert acted for PricewaterhouseCoopers on the sale of three of its human resources businesses - Human Resources Outsourcing, Interim Management and Executive Search & Selection - for 14 million to the Capita Group, advised by Herbert Smith.

Emerging deal: Clifford Chance Rogers & Wells acted for the senior lenders - Barclays and the Standard Bank Group - in the development of the $305 million Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund, aimed at financing debt in African nations.

US firm Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft advised the fund and Standard Infrastructure Fund Managers (Africa).

Denton Wilde Sapte and Crown Agents advised the equity provider, the Department for International Development.

Best trumpeted deal: London-based Collins Benson Goldhill advised venture company Key Property Investment (Number Five) on its 29 million buyout of the Elephant & Castle Centre in London.

Russell-Cooke Potter & Chapman acted for the sellers, UK Land.

Hammond Suddards Edge represented the financier, the Bank of Scotland.

Best tackled deal: North-west firm DWF advised Bill Archer, chairman of Focus Group DIY, on the sale of his shares in Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club to the club's chairman, Dick Knight, represented by Brighton firm Bosley & Co.

Most competitive deal: Travers Smith Braithwaite advised property developer Garbe (UK) on the leasing of 97,000 sq ft of office space at Victoria House, west London, to the Competition Commission, advised by Ashurst Morris Crisp.

Most scholarly deal: Surrey firm Mundays acted for builder Octagon Developments in its purchase of the Twickenham Brunel University site for residential development - a joint venture with the Bank of Scotland, advised by DLA.

Nabarro Nathanson acted for Brunel.

Best insured deal: Lovells acted for Lloyd's insurer Wellington Underwriting on the 448 million start-up of re-insurance company Wellington Re.

The equity investors were represented by Clifford Chance and US firm Simpson Thacher & Bartlett.