Last week saw a new event on the regional calendar – the first Manchester Legal Awards, run by Manchester Law Society. Eversheds scooped four of the 17 gongs, while Pannone and Addleshaw Goddard picked up two apiece.

Roger Pannone also won an outstanding achievement award for his services to the profession, so let’s hope he has a large mantelpiece.

Though Obiter can only dream of attending what was no doubt an Oscar-standard glitzy occasion, a glossy copy of the awards brochure did wing its way down south to humble Obiter Towers.

Nominated teams were asked which musical group they would be and what their team’s song would be – reminding Obiter of those cringe-worthy moments when a politician is asked what is on their iPod so that they can ‘appeal to da yoof’. It turns out that law firms are no less excruciating than parliamentarians in this regard, and possibly even a bit more so. Eversheds said it would be Manchester Britpop band Oasis, with their hit Supersonic. Because, they reasoned, the competition can ‘cast no shadow’ over them, and with so many businesses asking ‘where did it all go wrong?’ in the last 18 months, they have helped their clients ‘roll with it’ by delivering excellence ‘all around the world’. Not knowing when to stop, they add ‘some may say’ we’re ‘supersonic’. Pur-lease.

Burton Copeland, which won crime team of the year, picked Chariots of Fire by Vangelis because ‘we are a valiant team’, while DLA Piper, nominated in the same category, chose I Fought the Law by The Clash. Ho ho!

More esoterically, Liverpool firm Goodman Harvey, winners of the property of the year award, went for the Beatles track I am the Walrus. Why? Apparently the team leader looks like one. Obiter leaves readers to determine whether the firms would pick up any votes with that lot.