DEALS OF THE WEEK

15.11.2001

Best lubricated deal: Fenners acted for condomi, Europe's largest manufacturer of condoms, on a deal with Matrex Services - advised by Pickerings - to allow condomi products to be sold via 15,000 vending machines through the UK and Ireland.Speediest deal: CMS Cameron McKenna and Benelux firm Stibbe advised the Dutch government on a 1.3 billion public private partnership deal - the first in the Netherlands - to develop a high-speed rail link between Schipol Airport in Amsterdam and the Dutch/Belgian border.

The winning consortium, Infraspeed, was advised by Slaughter and May, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Dutch firm Nauta, while Allen & Overy acted for the syndicate financing the deal, and US firm McDermott Will & Emery for the European Investment Bank, which supports the commercial finance.Most wooden deal: Gouldens advised Woodbridge House Ltd on the 26 million refinancing of Woodbridge House, which is the offices of fellow City law firm Masons.

The loan was provided by a two-bank syndicate represented by Lawrence Graham.Best networked deal: Osborne Clarke acted for virtual network operator Vanco on the first main market flotation since July, which valued the company at 55 million.

The placing, carried out by Williams de Bro - advised by Ashurst Morris Crisp - raised 14 million.Best packaged deal: Carlisle firm Burnetts acted for the owners of Blue Band Express in the sale of the company to a management buy-in team advised by Freethcartwright and Scottish firm Morton Fraser.

The Bank of Scotland, which provided finance, was advised by Walker Morris.

The MBI team has entered into a trading agreement with Unipart, advised in-house.

It will now trade as BBX Limited, and will be one of the largest privately owned parcel carriers in the UK, with 13 depots.

Most luxurious deal: Maxwell Batley advised hotel company Six Senses Group on the second tranche of funding from Deutsche Bank after a joint venture agreement in June to provide up to $48 million in funding, enabling Six Senses to expand in Thailand, Vietnam and the Maldives.

US firm Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe acted for Deutsche Bank.Most Marked deal: Lawrence Graham acted for Topland Group Holdings on the sale and leaseback of 78 Marks and Spencer stores in a deal worth 348 million.

Scottish firm Dundas & Wilson handled the eight stores in Scotland.

Denton Wilde Sapte acted for Marks.