Most uplifting deal: The Manchester office of Hammonds acted for BASF on the sale of its pharmaceuticals business based in Cramlington in Northumberland to a management team for an undisclosed amount. The business, now called Aesica, makes pharmaceutical ingredients used in the manufacture of anti-depressants and anti-inflammatory drugs. Newcastle-based Dickinson Dees advised the funder, private equity house Lloyds TSB Development Capital, while the Newcastle office of Eversheds acted for the management team.


Best equipped deal: Regional firm Mills & Reeve advised Neopost on a £60 million refinancing that will allow the mailroom equipment supplier to expand its leasing portfolio. The lenders, Barclays Capital and the Royal Bank of Scotland, were advised by City firm Allen & Overy.



Windiest deal: Bedfordshire-based Pictons advised Anemos Associates, the wind engineering consultancy, on its merger with Canadian firm RWDI, the world's largest provider of wind engineering services. East Midlands firm Berryman Shacklock advised RWDI.



Best maintained deal: London firm Wallace advised Waterflow Holdings and a management team on the acquisition from Homeserve of the Waterflow Group (formerly OnSite South) for £3 million. Waterflow provides drainage and maintenance services to commercial, public sector and utility clients. Birmingham-based Martineau Johnson advised Homeserve, while midlands firm Gateley Wareing acted for finance provider Bank of Scotland.



Most precise deal: National firm Pinsents advised precision engineering group Avingtrans on the £8 million acquisition of Stainless Metalcraft (Chatteris) from Ferraris. Metalcraft manufactures aluminium and stainless steel products used in MRI scanners and other diagnostic imaging equipment. City firm Macfarlanes advised Ferraris.