Deals of the week - 22.05.2003

Best-dressed deal: City firm Mayer Brown Rowe & Mawe advised Oxford Acquisitions and Wittington Investments on their 598 million recommended cash offer for Selfridges department store.

Selfridges is advised by Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, and Morgan Stanley - which made the offer on behalf of Oxford Acquisitions - by Allen & Overy.

Most on-the-ball deal: Black country firm George Green advised Valiant 2001, a consortium of football supporters, on its takeover of Port Vale football club.

The consortium acquired the second division club's business and assets from the administrator, and has formed a company to run it.

The administrator was represented by Stoke firm Grindeys.

Yummiest deal: Bircham Dyson Bell represented Paramount in its 15.5 million takeover of the Groupe Chez Gerard restaurant chain.

The group, which runs 23 restaurants through the Chez Gerard, Livebait and Bertorelli brands, was represented by City firm Lewis Silkin.

Smokiest deal: Clifford Chance acted for Philip Morris International on its acquisition of 76% of shares in Greek cigarette manufacturers Papastratos Cigarettes in a deal worth 485 million (344 million).

Papastratos was represented by Greek firm G Tsatiris & Partners.

Most teenager-friendly deal: Pinsent Curtis Biddle represented gaming software development company Global Games in its recent management buy-out/buy-in.

The Co-operative Bank, advised by Birmingham firm Gateley Wareing, provided debt funding.

Most retail-therapeutic deal: Newly merged firm Addleshaw Goddard acted for Chartwell Land, a subsidiary of Kingfisher, in its sale of the Haymarket Shopping Centre in Leicester.

The centre was sold to Bradstyle, represented by Taylor Wessing.

Nicholson Graham & Jones advised the lenders.

Best defended deal: Beachcroft Wansbroughs advised Minerva Education and Training, a consortium comprising Interserve PFI, HSBC Infrastructure Fund Management and TQ Group, on the award of a contract to build and manage a new Ministry of Defence sixth form college near Loughborough.

The Ministry of Defence was advised by Bristol's Burges Salmon, and the Bank of Scotland - which provided funding - was represented by Ashurst Morris Crisp.

The college is the first proposal from the March 2001 defence training review to reach contract award.

Oiliest deal: Norton Rose acted for Rosneft Investments, a wholly owned subsidiary of Russia's state-owned oil and energy company OJSC Oil Company Rosneft, on its purchase of Anglo Siberian Oil Company, an independent oil exploration and production company advised by City firm Field Fisher Waterhouse.

The offer valued Anglo Siberian at 46 million.