Ken MacFadyen

Bain Capital reaffirmed its interest in Australia with an A$3.6 billion ($2.6bn) offer to acquire Goodman Fielder. The Boston firm is reportedly engaged in a joint bid with Pacific Equity Partners and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners.

In-Q-Tel, the CIA venture arm, was formed to put the US spy agency back on the cutting edge of technology. Unlike most venture groups, though, success and failure is not measured in dollars.

French businessman Gerard Sillam has named Thomas H. Lee Partners and the underwriters of Refco’s IPO in a recent lawsuit.

Boston-based JW Childs lost a key ruling in an indemnification suit the firm levied against the former owners of Hartz Mountain, a pet supplies company the firm had owned between 2000 and 2004.

Silver Lake Partners agreed to take Serena Software private for roughly $1.2 billion, in what has been a busy week for public-to-private transactions.

Chicago-based Linden LLC has held a more-than $100m first close on its inaugural fund. The firm, launched by One Equity vet Eric Larson, is competing on the fundraising trail with another One Equity spinout with an overlapping track record.

Cerberus Capital Management and Nikko Principal Investments have agreed to a deal to invest around ¥141bn into troubled Japanese conglomerate Seibu. The deal overcame a counterbid from the brothers of ousted Seibu head, Yoshiaki Tsutsumi.

Connecticut-based Portfolio Advisors wrapped up its third fund of funds, bringing in $661 million in commitments for a vehicle that lets LPs ‘customise’.

The Blackstone Group has tracked down another hotel deal, this time acquiring the Dallas-based La Quinta chain in a $3.4bn transaction.

As more and more generalist firms target its space, San Francisco’s Energy Investors Funds strengthened its toehold in the power sector, closing on $750 million for its latest fund.