Instructions of the Week - 08.08.2002

City giant Linklaters has acted for Kolhberg Kravis & Roberts, the world's largest leveraged buy-out firm, for the first time.

It advised KKR and Wendel Investissement on their 4.9 billion (3 billion) acquisition of leading French industrial company Legrand.

US firm Simpson Thacher & Bartlett provided US law advice, while Ashurst Morris Crisp acted for the senior lenders and US firm Latham & Watkins for the mezzanine lenders.

Linklaters was originally brought in by client Candover, and retained when KKR replaced Candover in the consortium.

Engineering company AMEC, which is in the process of reviewing all of its legal advisers, has selected Linklaters, CMS Cameron McKenna and Berwin Leighton Paisner, to make up its corporate advisory panel.

Camerons has also advised corporate independent financial adviser PIFC for the first time, acting on a 17 million investment by funds managed by Graphite Capital and others.

Olswang acted for Graphite.

Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw also has a new financial services client in the shape of Inter-Alliance Group, which was introduced by a contact at Altium Capital.

The firm has acted for Inter-Alliance in its recommended offer for HST Financial, which values HST at 12 million.

Hot on the heels of its work for the Commonwealth Games, for whom it acted on a sponsorship-for-fees basis, Addleshaw Booth & Co has been reappointed as the adviser to the Rugby Football League for the next four years.

As part of the deal, Addleshaws is to receive a package of branding rights, including tickets and branding at major RFL games, such as the Challenge Cup final.

However, unlike with the Commonwealth Games, there will still be fees payable under the deal.

National firm Hammond Suddards Edge has been appointed by partners at Deloitte & Touche to act on the receivership of companies in the Claims Direct Group.

Northamptonshire firm Turner Coulston has been named as Cheshire-based First Mortgage Options' sole legal adviser.

The company specialises in offering an independent mortgage service to both customers and other intermediaries.

The deal is expected to generate 1,500 to 2,000 instructions each year.

The new Reading office of Paul Davidson Taylor has been chosen by OFEX-quoted Web Orator to handle third-round funding for the Internet marketing company.

Bristol firm TLT has won a tender to work for the Merlin Entertainment Group, which owns 20 visitor attractions - including Sea Life centres and the London - in eight countries.

Plymouth firm Foot Anstey Sargent has won a tender to be the main legal adviser to the Plymouth Marine Laboratory.

Shortly before its appointment, the firm acted for the laboratory in breaking away from the Natural Environment Research Council to become an independent collaborative research centre, investigating climate change, marine pollution and sustainability.