Firms conjure a balancing act ; ;The message that has been emerging from the Gazettes own series on regional centres has been that these firms are not hiding their heads in the sand ;It will probably come as little surprise to the profession that when it comes to major corporate finance work, the City firms still dominate the landscape.

;The lessons for regional firms to be drawn from the survey of corporate finance work (see page eight) is that they have to do more than simply rely on local instructions for long-term survival.

Indeed, the message that has been emerging from the Gazettes own series on regional centres has been that these firms are not hiding their heads in the sand.

Some such as Eversheds and DLA have actively rebranded themselves as City firms.

Others such as Wragge & Co in Birmingham, Cobbetts in Manchester, Walker Morris in Leeds and Burges Salmon in Bristol are promoting their more cost-effective single-office regional nature, while looking outside their regions for work.

Yet others such as Hammond Suddards Edge are highlighting diversification, as that firms award from the Centre for Dispute Resolution last week shows.

;Short of a global economic meltdown, the ;so-called magic circle will always being doing the top-drawer corporate work.

The trick for the regional commercial firms is to find a balance of work both within and outside their regions.

They seem to be negotiating that balancing act in the current healthy economic climate.

Hopefully, a downturn will not find too many wanting.