While the Manchester-Leeds axis undoubtedly represents one of the wilder frontiers of commercial law, there are few obvious parallels between the regional outposts and strife-torn Afghanistan – a shared penchant for kebabs among the locals aside.

In the heady days of rapid national expansion, one ambitious firm sought to foster cooperation between its Leeds and Manchester outfits by co-opting senior local partners and practice heads on to a council of war it dubbed the ‘Northern Alliance’.