It is good to see regional firms once again lending a helping hand to under-worked City advisers, in this case on insurance giant Aviva’s £1.1bn acquisition of RAC.

As reported last week, RAC called in Herbert Smith for the first time on the deal, overlooking a roster of far-from-duff regional/mid-tiers including DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary, Wragge & Co, Pinsent Masons and Berwin Leighton Paisner.