Looking forward: looking back

The Thames Valley and Solent Deals Awards takes place at Oakley Hall, near Basingstoke, on Thursday, April 26, 2012. Put the date in your diary.

But well before that date, you should be compiling the deal information our judges will need to decide the 2012 category finalists and winners.

The qualifying period for the Awards is January 1, 2011, to February 28, 2012.

Our judges will look back over deal activity in 2011 to find the best deals and dealmakers of the year. They will not simply look at the size of the deal. Big-ticket deals always grab the headlines. They will take into account deal complexity, who led the deal, the mix of advisers, whether cross-border, completed to a tight timeframe, and a number of other criteria.

If the deal has been done in the Thames Valley or Solent geographical regions it is eligible. So too are deals where the target or acquirer is outside the area, but the lead advisers are based within our regions. If in doubt, check out your deal by emailing David Murray at david@elcot.co.uk

Categories Updated

The following awards categories have been confirmed for the  Thames Valley & Solent Deals Awards 2012:

Deal of the Year (over £25m value), sponsored by The Business Magazine

Deal of the Year (under £25m value), sponsored by The Business Magazine

Dealmaker (over £25m), sponsored by Barclays Corporate

Dealmaker (under £25m), sponsored by Pitmans

Corporate Finance Team, sponsored by HSBC

Corporate Finance Adviser, sponsored by HSBC

Corporate Bank, sponsored by HMT Corporate Finance

Corporate Banker, sponsored by Lamport Bassitt

VC/Private Equity Firm, sponsored by Leumi ABL

Management Team, sponsored by PwC

Corporate Law Firm, sponsored by Grant Thornton

Corporate Lawyer, sponsored by Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets