Instructions of the week - 14.11.2002

The third wave of 24 NHS local improvement finance trust (LIFT) projects have seen multiple public private partnership wins for firms.

LIFT schemes are part of the government's plan to provide 500 one-stop primary care centres by 2004, and south London healthcare firm Capsticks has won tenders for five, three of which are in London: Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich; Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham; and Barnet, Enfield and Haringey.

It has also won Colchester, and East Hampshire, Fareham and Gosport.

The firm is acting on three other projects for Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust, including a diagnostic and treatment centre, and intensive care unit.

Beachcroft Wansbroughs has won four LIFT projects, in Brent & Harrow in London, Norfolk, Oxford and Tees.

The firm is acting on eight of the total 42 LIFT projects.

Reading firm Blandy & Blandy has received its first instructions from the Rugby Football Union and Twickenham Experience - which organises the catering and hospitality at Twickenham stadium - and acted on rationalising the stadium's licensing arrangements.

City firm Herbert Smith has picked up Swiss Life Insurance and Pension Company as a new client, and is acting on its proposal capital raising of around 1 billion Swiss francs (435 million) and associated restructuring.

City firm DLA has been appointed by Airline Operators Committee at Heathrow Airport - which represents all the airlines that use it - to advise on baggage reconciliation systems it is procuring.

Scheduled to be implemented by 1 October 2003, it will manage more than 20 million bags a year for more than 80 airlines.

City firm Trowers & Hamlins - which has one of the leading Middle East practices - has a new client in the shape of Bahrain-based investment bank Gulf Finance House.

It has acted for Gulf Finance on the 42 million acquisition of a single-purpose property company which owns a commercial property at Gatwick Airport from BAA Lynton, advised by Herbert Smith.

The deal was structured to comply with Shari'ah law, which prohibits the payment and receipt of interest.

Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw represented Nationwide Building Society, which provided the finance.