Most personal deal: North-west firm DWF acted for personal loans and car finance company the Funding Corporation on its 43 million acquisition of Abbey's block-discounting division.

The London office of national firm Hammonds advised Abbey.

City firm Linklaters advised Barclays Bank, which backed the acquisition and provided additional banking facilities.

Most therapeutic deal: Bristol-based TLT advised Barclays on the refinancing of a new retail shopping centre in Merthyr Tydfil, south Wales.

Barclays provided a loan to developer Sylfaen in order to refinance the acquisition from the Welsh Development Agency (WDA) and to construct the centre.

City firm Olswang advised Sylfaen and City firm Eversheds acted for the WDA.

City firm Berwin Leighton Paisner advised Tesco, which will run a supermarket on the site.

Loopiest deal: US/UK firm Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw and Dutch firm Loyens & Loeff acted for Easynet on its acquisition of Novaxess, a leading Dutch business broadband local loop company, for 26 million.

The acquisition was partly funded by a placing of new shares in Easynet.

City firm Norton Rose acted for financial adviser Hoare Govett on the placing, while Dutch firm Nauta Dutilh advised the sellers.

Most dramatic deal: London firm Bates Wells & Braithwaite acted for Trinity College London, the examinations board, on its amalgamation with Guildhall Examinations, the external examinations division of the Guildhall School of Music & Drama.

The Corporation of London, which owns and funds the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, was advised by its in-house team.

Most precise deal: Oxford-based firm Darbys advised KAS Technologies on its acquisition of Holifields Precision Engineering for an undisclosed sum.

Holifields serves a number of industries, including Formula One, medical equipment (MRI scanners) and cryogenics.

The Reading office of Morgan Cole advised the sellers.

Most graphic deal: Manchester firm Pannone & Partners advised the shareholders of Ingram Publishing on its sale to LCJ Acquisitions for an undisclosed sum.

Ingram Publishing is a leading publisher in the graphic arts market.

Brighton-based firm DMH acted for LCJ Acquisitions.