Contacts:
Adrian Knight, Partner, London (+ 44 20 7655 5995)
Kate Sinclair, Media and Marketing Assistant, London (+ 44 20 7655 5986)

London, 10 Jan 2005 —   Shearman & Sterling (London) LLP advised R20 in its £151 million acquisition of the Laurel Pubs Company. The group consists of approximately 160 high street pubs in the UK, including the Hogshead chain. The principal sellers were funds advised by Morgan Grenfell Private Equity/Mid-Oceans.

Shearman & Sterling lawyers advising on this transaction included: M&A partner Adrian Knight, associates Sarah Wild, Esther Jeapes and Murray Wheater and trainees Kate Mitchell and Laura Rich; Tax partner Iain Scoon and associate Steven Pevsner; Project, Development and Finance counsel Raminder Singh and associate Arun Velusami; Bank Finance partner Iain Goalen and associates Jean Paul-Reno and Raihan Shaikh-Kaleel.