Slater & Gordon shakes up boardroom after setting out plans to split June 29, 2022 Slater & Gordon has said company chief executive David Whitmore will step down from his position, after setting out plans to split its business in two, with a view to separating its “essential” and “specialist” legal services segments. The law firm said Whitmore – who took up his CEO role in January 2018 – will [...]
Government strengthens judges powers to grant access to online court hearings June 29, 2022 The government has given courts new powers to let journalists and members of the public watch court hearings online. The Police, Crime, Sentencing, and Courts Act, which came into force yesterday, will give judges in courts and tribunals the power to let reporters and others tune into hearings remotely. The new powers come as a [...]
PwC hires 50 ESG focused interns as Big Four seek to capitalise on sustainability push June 29, 2022 PwC is set to bring in 50 new interns entirely focused on climate and ESG amid a race amongst the world’s biggest companies to capitalise on the rise of sustainability reporting. The Big Four firm said 50 of its 500 new interns will be focused on matters concerning ESG. PwC’s ESG chief Zubin Randeria said [...]
Capita posts ‘strong’ first half results as BBC TV licensing contract boosts outsourcer’s revenues June 29, 2022 Capita today posted “strong” results for the first half of 2022, after a series of “significant” government contracts boosted its H1 revenues. The outsourcing company said trading in the first half of 2022 sat in line with expectations, as it said its revenues were bolstered by the renewal of a £456m contract to run the [...]
Employers could be sued if they cut remote and hybrid workers salaries, lawyers say June 28, 2022 Employers giving pay cuts to remote and hybrid workers could face discrimination lawsuits, employment lawyers have said. Companies that pay higher salaries to workers who come into the office risk being subject to sexual discrimination lawsuits, due to the fact women are more likely to work from home than men, lawyers told City A.M. Fiona [...]
EY agrees record $100m settlement with US regulator over ethics exam cheating scandal June 28, 2022 EY has reached $100m (£82m) settlement with the US Securities and Exchanges Commission (SEC) over claims the Big Four firm’s auditors cheated on accounting exams and later misled the watchdog’s investigators. The US financial watchdog said in a statement that EY had agreed to pay the highest penalty ever imposed on an audit firm by [...]
Subprime lender Amigo Loans launches new loan product after learning from ‘mistakes of the past’ June 28, 2022 Payday lender Amigo Loans has said it has “learnt the lesson from the past” ahead of the launch of a new guarantor loan product for “underserved” customers. The Bournemouth firm is set to offer customers two new loan products after it was blocked from trading by the UK’s financial watchdog in March 2020. The new [...]
Russia defaults on international debts after being cut out of financial system by Western sanctions June 28, 2022 Russia yesterday defaulted on its international debts for the first time since the Bolshevik revolution after being unable to pay its creditors due to the impacts of Western sanctions. Ratings agency Moody’s yesterday said Russia’s failure to make payments on two Eurobonds worth $100m officially constitutes a default after its extended deadline to make the [...]
Credit Suisse becomes first Swiss bank to be convicted in Switzerland’s own courts June 27, 2022 Credit Suisse has become the first of Switzerland’s domestic banks to be convicted of a corporate crime in any of the country’s own courts, after a judge today found the Zurich financier guilty of failing to prevent laundering of Bulgarian drug money. A court in the southern Swiss city of Bellinzona fined the bank 2m [...]
Begbies Traynor shares nudge after snapping up Midlands chartered surveyor Hardcastle June 27, 2022 Financial advisory firm Begbies Traynor has snapped up Midlands chartered surveyor Budworth Hardcastle in a deal worth up to £2.4m. The Manchester-based restructuring specialist saw shares nudge higher after it confirmed the deal on Monday morning. Budworth Hardcastle will be integrated into the group’s property division, Eddisons, once the deal is completed. Begbies Traynor said [...]