City firm Lovells advised French energy giant EDF on its £11bn acquisition of British Energy Group, the UK nuclear power generator. Lovells also advised Merrill Lynch and BNP Paribas in connection with the deal. Magic circle firm Clifford Chance advised British Energy, while US firm White & Case advised the lending banks.

Football: National firm Hammonds advised UK Sports Investments on the sale of 90% of Manchester City Football Club – owned by former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra – to Abu Dhabi United Group, for an undisclosed sum. Abu Dhabi was advised by US firm Shearman & Sterling. Banks Prudential Trust Corporation and Standard Bank were advised by US firm Jones Day and City firm SJ Berwin respectively.

Recycling: London firm Fladgate advised Von Roll Inova, the Swiss plant construction company, on an agreement with Riverside Resource Recovery to build a waste-to-energy plant in Belvedere, south-east London. The plant will convert 585,000 tonnes of London’s waste to electricity every year. Riverside Resource Recovery was advised by City firm Ashurst.

Cereal: South-west firm Burges Salmon advised Centaur Grain on its £20m merger with Grainfarmers to create grain supply business Openfield. The new business is expected to handle around 20% of the UK grain market. Grainfarmers was advised by City firm Field Fisher Waterhouse.

Sukuk: Magic circle firm Clifford Chance, alongside Saudi firm Al-Jadaan & Partners and offshore firm Walkers, advised HSBC Saudi Arabia on what is believed to be the first real estate sukuk in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, worth SAR1bn (£145m). The sukuk certificates were issued by a subsidiary of the Saudi Bin Ladin Group, advised by City firm Baker & McKenzie.