Reading: Osborne Clarke top mid-market adviser

Osborne Clarke was the leading law firm in the South of England for mid-market deals in 2007, according to a new report. The unquote UK Regional Mid-Market Barometer identified Osborne Clarke as having advised on the highest volume and value of deals in the sub-£150m value range in the region during the period.

The report also ranks Osborne Clarke third in London and fifth in the UK, for the same band of mid-market deals.

The report cements Osborne Clarke's leading position in private equity, M&A and acquisition finance across the key Southern Region and shows that the firm is a key player in the London mid-market.

Many of the deals singled out in the report as the top deals of the year are those acted on by Osborne Clarke, these include:

The £67 million buyout of Penn Pharmaceutical

The £65m buyout of Miles 33 Group

The £38.5m buyout of Williams Medical Supplies

The £160m refinancing and acquisition financing of the Baxter Storey group

The £32m buyout of A-GAS International

The £410m sale of Apollo Group Holdings

In total, the report cites 11 mid-market deals in the southern region with a total value of £378.8m advised on by Osborne Clarke (23 deals across the UK). In total during 2007 and taking into account deals exceeding the £150m level, the firm advised on 35 private equity transactions with a value of £2.25 billion, over £1 billion of banking deals and over 60 venture capital fundraisings.

Osborne Clarke's head of banking, Omar Al-Nuaimi, said: "2007 was a stunning success in terms of the volume and profile of deals we advised on, and our combined private equity, corporate and debt finance practices stamped their mark on the key Southern region.

"During a year which brought considerable change in market conditions, a key variable was the ability of institutions to deliver finance at the right time and price. We were delighted to see institutions maintain their ability to do this throughout 2007 and into 2008. As the data shows, we have been on hand to help our institutional clients deliver that finance throughout the period."

Greg Leyshon, head of private equity, Osborne Clarke, said: "2007 was a very busy year that saw a large number of deals from private equity clients, particularly buyouts and exits. 2008 has brought a more challenging environment, but we are continuing to see strong activity in the mid-market with good demand for deal advice."

The unquote UK Regional Mid-Market Barometer is produced by market intelligence service unquote in association with Lloyds Development Capital.