20.11.2003

Most on-the-ball deal: City firm Nicholson Graham & Jones acted for former Leeds United chairman Peter Ridsdale on the acquisition of Barnsley FC from Peter Doyle, advised by local firm Mills Kemp & Brown, and the associated sale of property at the club to Oakwell Community Assets, a joint venture operated by Patrick Cryne (advised by Pinsents) and Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council (advised by Leeds firm Walker Morris).

Best strummed deal: London firm Collyer-Bristow acted for businessman Paul Kirkham on his purchase of The Guitar Institute, which provides courses in guitar and bass playing in west London.

The vendors were advised by City firm Cannings Connolly, and City firm Stephenson Harwood acted for the funder, Bank of Scotland.

Most amplified deal: Northamptonshire firm Vincent Sykes & Higham acted for Nujira - a Cambridge company developing power amplifier technology for the cellular industry - on closing an $850,000 (510,000) seed round, with lead investment by Amadeus Mobile Seed Fund.

City firm Taylor Wessing represented the investors.

Wisest deal: Cheltenham firm BPE acted for clothes and furniture chain BeWise Group on its sale to QS Group.

US/UK firm Jones Day Gouldens acted for QS.

Best informed deal: London firm Nellen advised Magus Research, a supplier of content and information management products, on its acquisition of integrated information software company Vrikso, represented by City firm Reynolds Porter Chamberlain.

Best stored deal: Manchester firm JMW acted for the Brookhouse Group on its 69 million purchase of a portfolio of nine out-of-town retail warehouse investments from Morley Fund Management, advised by the City office of Penningtons.

Best engineered deal: Central London firm Fladgate Fielder acted for French engineering group Delachaux on its 165 million acquisition of the Pandrol group of companies from Candover Investments, advised by Scottish firm Dickson Minto.

Baker & McKenzie represented Pandrol's management.