Deals of the week - 21.03.2002

Most pressing deal: City firm Macfarlanes advised venture capital house Candover Investments on the 560 million purchase of unlisted Regional Independent Media (RIM) by Johnston Press, represented by Ashurst Morris Crisp.

RIM owns titles such as the Yorkshire Post and Motocross News.

Addleshaw Booth & Co acted for the management.

Highest frequency deal: Nicholson Graham & Jones acted for GWR Group on the sale, for an undisclosed sum, of Kent and Sussex Radio to Kent Messenger, advised by Nabarro Nathanson.

Best outsourced deal: Norton Rose is acting for business service company Capita on sub-contracting schemes with the BBC and Transport for London (TfL).

Capita has signed a ten-year, 500 million contract to collect and enforce TV licences for the BBC - represented by Linklaters - and is TfL's preferred supplier for the proposed congestion charging scheme.

If successfully captured, the contract would be worth 230 million over five years.

Most powerful deal: Freshfields advised the project vehicle and Conoco on the 257 million project financing for the Immingham combined heat-and-power plant to be built on the South Humber Bank, the first new merchant UK independent power project to be project-financed since the introduction of the New Electricity Trading Arrangements last year.

Allen & Overy advised lead arranger, the Bank of Scotland.

Most plastic deal: Lovells advised Barclaycard on the acquisition, for an undisclosed sum, of the UK credit card business of Providian Financial, advised by US firm LeBoeuf Lamb Greene & MacRae.

Most on-the-road deal: Browne Jacobson acted for Pentagon Investments on its acquisition of two major DAF/LDV truck dealerships in Preston and Edinburgh for an undisclosed sum.

The dealerships, sold by Ryland Group and represented by Eversheds, have a combined turnover of 26 million.

Oiliest deal: Gouldens and Aberdonian firm Stronachs acted for oil and gas production company Venture Production on a 40 million placing and London listing.

CMS Cameron McKenna advised Investec Henderson Crosthwaite, which handled the placing.

Best designed deal: Fox Williams acted for The Law Trading Company - a footwear design and sales agency - on its sale to Beltpacker, advised by Gordons Cranswick, for an undisclosed sum.