Deals of the week

Most sacred deal: Rowe & Maw is advising on an Indian project to build a 500 foot high Buddah in Sri Lanka.

The City firm is advising Maitreya Project International, a consortium formed for the project, on the construction and taxation of the statue in Bodhgaya.

Most illustrative deal: Freshfields advised Pearson on its 311 million offer for publisher Dorling Kindersley Holdings, advised by Herbert Smith.

The Kindersley family was advised by Macfarlanes.Eastern European deal: Linklaters advised on the issue of Euro 125 billion (80 billion) Euro-demininated bonds for Slovakia, Croatia and Lithuania.

The firm acted as English and Slovak counsel to JP Morgan Securities and Deutsche Bank on the Euro 500 million Slovakian issue, English counsel Dresdner Kleinwort Benson on the Euro 500 million Croatian issue and English counsel to Credit Suisse First Boston and Deutsche Bank on the Euro 250 million Lithuanian issue.

German allied firm Oppenhoff & Rdler advised on Frankfurt listings.

The Croatian Ministry of Justice, Lideika Petrauskas Valunias & Partners (Lithuania) and Jillson & Marshall (Slovakia) were local counsel.

Sweatiest deal: Field Fisher Waterhouse advised London Underground on the grant of a long lease of Stringfellows night club for 6 million to Hendersen Investors, advised by CMS Cameron McKenna.Most on-line deal: Rakisons is advising PowerChannel Group in its alliance with Granada Media Group, advised by Olswang, to provide free Internet access via a free set- top box.

PowerChannel Group gets 13.5 million for a 23.5% stake in PowerChannel Europe.Most global deal: Clifford Chance is advising Merrill Lynch in its $1 billion partnership with HSBC Holdings to create a global on-line banking and investment company.

HSBC has instructed Norton Rose.Most switched-on deal: Wragge & Co advised telecoms company Global Switch International on its 130 million joint venture with Canada's TrizecHahn and Chelsfield to create a Luxembourg company, Global Switch SARL.

Ashurst Morris Crisp advised the joint venture and Chelsfield.

Trizechahn was advised by Davis Ward & Beck.