Deal under construction: City firm Olswang acted for real estate and development company Minerva on an agreement for a 20-year lease of St Botolphs in London with insurance broker Lockton International. Lockton, which was advised by north-west firm Hill Dickinson, will base its new European headquarters there when the building is completed in 2010.


Best-maintained deal: City firm Trowers & Hamlins advised Stoke-on-Trent City Council on a £400 million joint venture project with Kier Group. The project involved the creation of an organisation called Kier Stoke, which will deliver building maintenance and repair services to the Council. National firm Eversheds acted for the Kier Group.



Most infectious deal: City firm Taylor Wessing acted for LGV Capital (formerly Legal & General Ventures) on the sale of the Verna Group, which manufactures infection control products, to Bank of Scotland Integrated Finance (BOSIF) for an undisclosed sum. North-west firm Cobbetts acted for the management of Verna Group, while national firm DLA Piper acted for BOSIF.



Shiniest deal: Magic circle firm Clifford Chance advised the Aluminium Corporation of China (Chinalco) on the acquisition by its wholly owned subsidiary, Shining Prospect, of 12% of mining firm Rio Tinto. Aluminium producer Alcoa invested US$1.2 billion (£600 million) in the deal. Alcoa was advised by US firm Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz's corporate team, US firm Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton's competition team and City firm Macfarlanes, which advised on English law.

Linklaters advised Rio Tinto.



Greenest deal: US firm Shearman & Sterling's London office is advising Deutsche Bank's London branch, Merrill Lynch International and UBS as joint financial advisers to consortium of funds WasteAcquisitionco in relation to its £1.2 billion offer for recycling company Biffa. Magic circle firm Linklaters is acting for WasteAcquisitionco and City firm Herbert Smith is advising Biffa.