Deals Of The Week 14.02.2002

Most honourable deal: London- based Forsters acted for the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple on its acquisition of 1 and 2 Serjeant's Inn, the home of City law firm Dechert (see [2002] Gazette, 31 January, 5).

The value is reported at 30 to 40 million.

The seller, CGNU, was advised in-house, while the Royal Bank of Scotland, which provided funding, was advised by Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw.Best constructed deal: James Chapman & Co acted for leading Irish housebuilder McInerney Holdings on its 8 million acquisition of Wigan-based Charlton Group (UK), advised by fellow Manchester firm Lockett Loveday & McMahon.Most varied deal: Speechly Bircham acted for The Royal London Mutual Insurance Society on the sale of a 300 million mixed portfolio, one of the largest ever institutional commercial property portfolio sales.

The firm co-ordinated input from Royal London's in-house team and preparatory work done by London firms Tucker Turner and Cannings Connolly.

The buyer, an overseas private investor, was advised by Nabarro Nathanson and US firm Gibson Dunn & Crutcher.Most predictable deal: Field Fisher Waterhouse represented the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts in Reading on its purchase of a supercomputer from IBM, advised in-house.

The computer should help the centre improve the accuracy of its ten-day forecasts and develop its expertise in predicting the weather three to six months in advance.Most regal deal: Richards Butler acted for Direct Line on the 12 million purchase of Royal International Holdings' Italian direct insurance business.

Allen & Overy advised Royal International.Best informed deal: Uxbridge firm IBB acted for information access software producer Aruna on its 20 million merger with Canadian software house Freedom Intelligence.

Canadian firm Beard Winter acted for Freedom.Liveliest deal: North-west firm Perkins Mainman acted for Swiss Life on sale 1 million of its former headquarters in Crosby to the Sefton Neighbourhood Initiative Project, advised by Yaffe Jackson.Healthiest deal: Garretts, the English arm of Andersen Legal, acted for London & Regional Properties on its 50 million acquisition of Skipton House in London, which is let to the Department of Health.

The overseas private investor who sold it was represented by Nabarro Nathanson.