Norwegian billionaire forced back to London in £285m Deutsche Bank dispute May 12, 2026 Norwegian billionaire Alexander Vik has been ordered to return to the City to be interrogated about his hidden assets during a 13-year-long legal dispute with Deutsche Bank. The bank first sued the business mogul’s company, Sebastian Holdings, in 2009 after the company suffered a series of losses on foreign exchange and equities trade deals during [...]
Mike Ashley wins trademark appeal, throwing out eye-watering damages bill May 12, 2026 The retail empire of business tycoon Mike Ashley has won an appeal challenging damages awarded in a trademark infringement claim, sidestepping paying a potentially stinging bill. The judgment follows a longstanding legal dispute between the discount sports retailer and the Beverly Hills Polo Club brand, owned and managed by Lifestyle Equities, which argued Ashley’s Sports [...]
Poundstretcher seeks rent cuts in survival bid May 7, 2026 Discount retailer Poundstretcher is set to be restructured by its owner, Fortress Investment Group, to reduce property-related overheads and avoid closure. The plan will see the retail chain, which operates 298 stores in the UK, stabilise a “substantial fall in turnover” and rising leasehold costs, the Insolvency and Companies Court heard today. In the High [...]
Divorce costs hit finances beyond lawyer fees, says Octopus legal group May 6, 2026 Divorce costs are financially draining for separating couples in the UK beyond just legal fees, according to a new report from Octopus-owned legal service, Amicable. The report, which surveyed 2,000 UK adults who have either divorced, separated, or dissolved a civil partnership over the last 10 years, found that almost 40 per cent said their [...]
UK businesses struggle with triple threat of costs, cyber risks and stagnant growth May 6, 2026 The UK consulting sector is expected to grow by nearly 6 per cent this year, amid businesses facing ‘intensifying pressure’ from cost management, cyber security risks, and budget constraints. The Management Consultancies Association (MCA), which represents the consulting sector, has released a new report stating that heightened costs and strapped budgets are “the single biggest concern” for [...]
Forvis Mazars UK CEO: We have what others are trying to buy May 6, 2026 Forvis Mazars UK boss tells Maria Ward-Brennan that the firm’s integrated, global structure is what competitors are now trying to acquire through mergers and investments Forvis Mazars has built an integrated firm from the ground up, something others are now trying to purchase, says its UK chief executive, who added that building integration from scratch [...]
HMRC handed red card in £584,000 football referee tax lawsuit May 5, 2026 HMRC has lost a long-running legal battle against the UK’s football refereeing body over the employment status of 60 referees, after the tax authority issued a £584,000 tax bill. In a judgment on Friday, the First Tier Tribunal (FTT) upheld that the referees were self-employed and not employed by the body, the Professional Game Match [...]
Alvarez & Marsal poached FTI heads as firm seeks to challenge Big Four giants May 5, 2026 Management consultancy firm Alvarez & Marsal has poached its second FTI name to join its recently launched reputation advisory practice as it seeks to challenge the Big Four. The newest recruit, senior director Tom Hufton, joins managing director Rob Mindell to lead the practice, City AM can reveal. The firm’s new practice, launched at the [...]
City law firms clamp down on the equity cookie jar April 30, 2026 Law firms are tightening access to equity partnerships to protect profits, increasingly reserving the equity pool for top performers, writes Maria Ward-Brennan. As the Big Four giants dominate the headlines with internal changes, the firms are seeking to regain control of their expanded equity pools amid profitability problems. These giants are looking to mirror what [...]
Grant Thornton snaps up Australian sister firm as part of global push April 29, 2026 Professional services giant Grant Thornton US is set to acquire the firm’s Australian counterpart to become part of its global advisory platform, boosting the private equity-backed player’s global reach. Grant Thornton US said the transaction was “recommended by the board and would close later this year, subject to shareholder partner approval and standard regulatory conditions.” [...]