Instructions of the week - 30.05.2002

Denton Wilde Sapte kicks off our latest round-up with two international instructions.

The City firm is a member of a consortium, led by Emerging Markets Economics, which has been selected by the Department for International Development to run the management unit of a multi-donor initiative to aid developing countries build robust and diverse financial sectors.

FIRST - the Financial Sector Reform and Strengthening Initiative - has been set up jointly by the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and national development agencies.

In addition, Dentons has been appointed to advise the Tea Board of India on its intellectual property issues with the aim of providing a coherent and consistent strategy for future control and licensing of teas such as Darjeeling, Assam and Nilgir.

Manchester firm Davis Blank Furniss has secured second division football club Oldham Athletic as a client after advising on a reorganisation of its share capital to enable chairman Chris Moore to introduce additional funds to the club.

Leeds firm Walker Morris has been appointed by the joint administrators of first division football club Bradford City, Kroll Buchler Phillips.

City firms Field Fisher Waterhouse and DLA have been selected as sole external legal advisers to the Learning & Skills Council for the south and north of England respectively.

The council has annual funding of 7 billion from the Department for Education and Skills and is responsible for funding and planning education in England.

Field Fisher has also been selected by the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions to advise on its 'Transport Direct' Web portal project, and by the Treasury to advise on the provision of payroll services to government departments by an external supplier.

Eversheds has been appointed as primary employment law adviser to Virgin Atlantic Airways and Virgin Trains after joining the Virgin Group's main legal panel of 11 firms last year following a review.

City firm Charles Russell has scooped its first instruction for Canaccord Capital (Europe), which was the nominated adviser and broker on the placing and flotation of Peter Hambro Mining on the Alternative Investment Market.

Norton Rose acted for Peter Hambro.

City firm Fox Williams has completed its first corporate transaction for Trigren, which has taken on the operations of the Drug Discovery Group, formerly a division of the Thrombosis Research Institute, advised by Goodman Derrick.

Regional firm Shoosmiths has joined existing provider Manches in advising WH Smith on property matters after a review which saw six firms shortlisted.

Insurance law firm Davies Lavery in Birmingham has picked up some 700 ongoing actions for clients including Cornhill, NIG, Skandia, and Hertz Claims and Risk Management after the recruitment of partner Denny Payton from Eversheds.