Some cheering news on an otherwise tough day for UBS - the Swiss bank has bagged key roles for both Lloyds and RBS, as the two British banks agree to a massive shake-up that involves taking 31 billion pounds more of government money. As Victoria Howley and Daisy Ku wrote earlier:

“UBS AG (UBSN.VX) has taken key roles on two landmark deals to shore up British banks — landing the Swiss bank a welcome boost in fees and prestige on the same day it shocked the market with worse-than-expected results.

“UBS is working alongside Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BAC.N) to raise 13.5 billion pounds ($22 billion) for Lloyds Banking Group Plc (LLOY.L) in the world’s largest rights issue.

“It is also working with Morgan Stanley (MS.N) to advise Royal Bank of Scotland Plc (RBS.L) on its participation in the UK government’s Asset Protection Scheme (APS). [ID:nL3540088]

“UBS’s advisory team is led by Alex Wilmot-Sitwell, co-chief executive of the investment bank, and Chris Fox, a managing director in the bank’s London financial institutions group.

“Lloyds is paying 500 million pounds in fees and expenses, of which 190 million pounds ($309 million) will go to the six banks underwriting the rights issue — UBS and Merrill alongside Citi (C.N), Goldman Sachs (GS.N), HSBC (HSBA.L) and JPMorgan Cazenove (JPM.N).

“As joint sponsors and global co-ordinators, UBS and Merrill are likely to earn more than the other four, implying payouts of more than 32 million pounds each.”

For the full story, click here.

For more on UBS honcho Wilmot-Sitwell, see this profile in the Times of London from April, with nuggets such as the fact his father is credited with inventing the “dawn raid”.

Elsewhere, Legal Week magazine has the skinny on the “Magic Circle” law firms working for RBS, Lloyds and the Treasury.

Interesting detail in a research note on Thursday from Credit Suisse, highlighting how it pays for bankers to sweat the small stuff in these lean times.

The bank’s own research and Dealogic data shows that deals worth less than $100 million have generated average success fees equivalent to nearly 1.2 per cent of the value of the transaction this year. Deals worth $1 billion or more have yielded just 0.2 percent.

As I wrote earlier, Credit Suisse also says that M&A may replace fixed income as a driver of investment banking revenues in coming quarters as the high-grade bond bonanza draws to a close.

The bankers on Merck’s pending $41 billion merger with Schering-Plough will get a nice pay day — one for the record books, in fact.

An amended proxy filing shows that the investment banks on the deal will receive more than $100 million in total advisory fees.

Goldman Sachs is set to receive $33.33 million, while Morgan Stanley will get $20 million for advising Schering-Plough, according to the filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

J.P. Morgan Chase is in line for a fee of $45 million for advising Merck, the filing said.

A portion of these fees are only payable upon completion of the transaction, so the deal must complete for the banks to receive the total payout.

The total target side advisory fees of $53.33 million are the 7th largest total target side disclosed advisory fee on any transaction involving a full acquisition of a U.S. public target since 2003, according to FactSet MergerMetrics.

Meanwhile, on the acquirer’s side, the $45 million advisory fee is the 4th largest total acquirer side disclosed advisory fee on any transaction involving a full acquisition of a US public target since 2003, FactSet MergerMetrics said.

“The individual advisory fees themselves are not exceptional, but the $100.33 mil payable by both the target and acquirer in the deal is the third largest total disclosed fee we have identified behind the $122 mil payable on the BellSouth / AT&T deal and the $118 Phelps Dodge / Freeport-McMoRan deals,” FactSet MergerMetrics said.

Of course, fees are not disclosed on all deals so it’s hard to get a full picture. But no matter how you look at it, $100 million is a nice chunk of change.