Deal lawyer Chris Manderson explores exit options for sponsors, including “emerging growth company” IPOs enabled by the JOBS Act, dividend recaps, real estate investment trusts and more.

As you’re heading to the beach this weekend, here’s a slideshow of the week’s top 5 private equity-backed M&A deals.

At the annual SuperReturn conference, many PE executives acknowledged they still had much to do to repair their image as unscrupulous corporate raiders.

MF-ed: MF Global seeks 11th hour buyer

FtOrReEeSsT: Facebook stock auction goes down via SecondMarket (but, that really doesn’t matter)

The Price is Wrong, Bob: Groupon may up IPO price

The “No Duh!” Fee: Healthcare providers to up smokers’ costs

Here’s to You! CalSTRS bonuses up on big gains

Steve Jobs’ last words

Problem Solved? The cleantech challenge

Falling for VC: A http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/oct/31/voices-of-finance-venture-capital-fundraiser?newsfeed=true captivated

Scraping the Barrel: Too many start-ups, not enough funds

Prime Time: Mendix start-up first round in the bag

Blog Happy: Blogging value soars in top 25 most valuable list

Boosting Women in Bio: Greater Boston targets the fairer sex in biotech hotbed

British bank venture NBNK has submitted a second-round bid for about 630 Lloyds bank branches, Reuters reported Wednesday. Sun Capital and Co-Operative Financial Services have yet to put in second-round offers. The branches – put up for sale following a British government bailout during the credit crisis – are expected to fetch some 1.5 billion pounds ($2.3 billion). Britain ended up with a 40.6% stake in Lloyds following the bailout, Reuters wrote.

I hope John Doerr has an agent.

The Kleiner Perkins partner emerged the winner of yesterday’s poll. Thirty-seven percent of voters picked Doerr as the most deserving to get his own reality TV show. Mark Leder, Sun Capital’s co-CEO, placed a close second with 31.3%.

The biggest surprise? Stephen Schwarzman, Blackstone’s chairman and CEO, who ran a very distant fourth for much of the day only to rally late Thursday (at one point Schwarzman was running neck-in-neck with Doerr for the lead). But Schwarzman didn’t prevail. He ended up a respectable third with 25.4%. DFJ Esprit’s Simon Cook, meanwhile, came in last with 6% (sorry Simon!).

American Glass Enterprises, an affiliate of Florida-based private equity firm Sun Capital Partners, has completed the acquisition of the assets of Vitro America via a 363 bankruptcy sale. Vitro America serves construction and auto replacement markets with architectural glass and aluminum products, and is based in Memphis, Tennessee. Morgan Joseph served as investment banker to Vitro America on the transaction, which also involved raising approximately $35 million in debtor-in-possession financing.

Liz Claiborne Inc. is in talks with private equity firms to sell its Mexx brand, Reuters reported, citing Bloomberg. Leonard Green & Partners, Sun Capital and Golden Gate Capital are among the firms exploring the sale. According to Bloomberg, the Mexx business fetch about $100 million.

Sun Capital Partners recapitalized its Exopack Holding Corp., packaging company. The recapitalization transaction included a private placement for $235 million at 10% due 2018 and a six-year $350 senior secured term loan facility. Mesirow Financial advised Exopack in the transaction.