Food for thought: City firm Herbert Smith advised food group Northern Foods on its merger with Irish food company Greencore Group, advised by magic circle firm Slaughter and May, to create £500m FTSE 250 company Essenta Foods.

Coal goal: Magic circle firm Freshfields advised Vallar, financier Nat Rothschild’s cash shell company, on buying 25% of Indonesian coal producer PT Bumi Resources, and 75% of Indonesian coal producer PT Berau Coal Energy, both advised by City firm Holman Fenwick & Willan, for $3bn (£1.9bn) in total.

Sitting comfortably: City firm Travers Smith advised the management of children’s car seat manufacturer Britax Childcare on its £450m sale to a company backed by private equity firm Nordic Capital, advised by City firm Ashurst. US firm Latham & Watkins advised asset managers Carlyle, investors in Britax.

Rights stuff: Magic circle firm Linklaters advised Spanish bank Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria on a €5bn (£4.3bn) rights issue, and Spanish TV operator Gestevisión Telecinco on a €500m (£427m) rights issue.

Software acquisition: Magic circle firm Allen & Overy advised software company Misys on its €435m (£375m) acquisition of software provider Sophis from private equity firm Advent International, advised by US firm Weil Gotshal & Manges.

Oiling the wheels: Magic circle firm Clifford Chance advised International Petroleum Investment Company on establishing a loan programme worth $2.5bn (£1.6bn) in total. Linklaters advised a consortium of banks on issuing the loans.