INSTRUCTIONS OF THE WEEK

The Insolvency Service's regional panel to handle director disqualification work from 1 April kicks off our round-up of new instructions.Norwich firm Howes Percival is covering Anglia, and is sharing London with ASB Law's Brighton office.

ASB Law is also covering the south-east.

The north-west is split between Manchester firm Cobbetts (60%) and Newcastle's Dickinson Dees (40%), which has the north-east region to itself.

Osborne Clarke in Bristol has the M4 corridor, Foot Anstey Sargent in Exeter the south-west, while the midlands is shared equally between Wragge & Co in Birmingham and Coventry firm Brindley Twist Tafft & James.Hill Dickinson is acting for the Australian/New Zealand joint venture company Muffin Break in establishing franchised shops across the UK.Maxwell Batley has been appointed by the National Bank for the Republic of Macedonia as its sole UK lawyers.Clyde & Co is acting for the Consumers' Association in supporting Peru's complaint to the World Trade Organisation against the European Union's common fisheries policy, the first time a consumer group has become directly involved in a WTO case.

Under EU rules, only fish caught and canned by Spanish or Portuguese fishermen can be labelled and marketed as sardines.Berwin Leighton Paisner is acting for the English Cities Fund, a new joint venture between English Partnerships, AMEC and Legal & General.

The government-approved fund is designed to raise up to 250 million to assist private investment in neglected areas.

Stephenson Harwood has been selected by Fieldstone Private Capital Group to join a consortium advising the Serbian government on the privatisation of a group of metal processing companies.CMS Cameron McKenna is part of the consortium advising on the restructuring of Tanzania's power sector.

The International Development Agency sponsors the plan.The London office of US firm Altheimer & Gray has picked up the instruction to act for Kidzbiz on its acquisition by leading toy manufacturer JAKKS Pacific.

Partner Dean Harper said several more instructions from Kidzbiz have followed.