Deals of the Week

DEALS OF THE WEEK

27.09.2001

Oiliest deal: Morgan Cole acted for the management of Inexus Group on its 100 million acquisition of TotalFinaElf Connect and TotalFinaElf Pipelines, which provide and manage public gas transportation infrastructure.

Slaughter and May acted for Inexus and STAR Capital Partners, which provided funding, while US firm Dewey Ballantine represented TotalFinaElf.Booziest deal: Linklaters advised Greene King on its 103 million recommended cash offer for Old English Inns, which runs 136 pubs offering accommodation and was advised by Gouldens.Most backward deal: US firm McDermott Will & Emery acted for BAE Systems on the establishment of a 50/50 joint venture with back-office specialist Xchanging, advised by Clifford Chance, for the provision of procurement services to BAE and potentially other major corporates.

The joint venture, which is subject to EU competition clearance, is part of a growing trend of major companies outsourcing non-core back- office functions.Most active deal: Harbottle & Lewis led the advice given to health club operator Virgin Active, one of Sir Richard Branson's companies, on a debt financing transaction worth 30 million, which will partly fund the group's expansion.

Harbottles provided corporate advice and co-ordinated the banking and property advice given respectively by DLA and Denton Wilde Sapte.Most settled deal: Nottingham's Freethcartwright acted for banking software company Advanced Banking Solutions on its acquisition for an undisclosed amount of Synchronicity, advised by Boodle Hatfield, which supplies syndicated loan administration software and settlement systems for bonds and other securities.Most academic deal: Manches acted for Oxford University Press on its 13 million acquisition of law publisher Blackstone Press from BPP Holdings.

Denton Wilde Sapte acted for BPP and Collyer-Bristow for the founders of Blackstone, who held a 17.5% minority interest.Tastiest deal: Olswang advised culinary expert and journalist Nigella Lawson, and her partner in the company William Miller, on the establishment of television production company Pabulum Productions.

It also advised the pair on a deal with Channel 4 for more food series and other projects.

Channel 4 was advised in-house.