McKinsey to face racketeering lawsuit, after case revived in appeal January 20, 2022 A US court has reopened a case against consultancy giant McKinsey, alleging the US firm filed false statements in bankruptcy courts to win lucrative consulting contracts. The US Court of Appeals revived a racketeering case put forward by consulting firm AlixPartners, claiming McKinsey misled the bankruptcy court over its conflicts of interest, meaning it won [...]
Law sector’s toxic work culture is harming productivity January 20, 2022 The legal sector’s toxic workplace culture is pushing lawyers out of jobs and harming their mental health and productivity, new research shows. More than half of people working in the legal sector have left a job because of toxic culture in the workplace, according to a survey from software company Culture Shift. At the same [...]
Battle of the City skyscrapers heats up as shiny new 22 Bishopsgate lures law firm McDermott away from Heron Tower January 20, 2022 City law firm McDemott Will & Emery is moving out of the Salesforce Tower, commonly known by its former name as the Heron Tower, to move to the 46th floor of the brand new 22 Bishopsgate skyscraper. The Salesforce Tower, minutes from Liverpool Street, housed the Chicago-based law firm for more than a decade. However, [...]
British insurer drops “energetic” and “enthusiastic” from job ads to attract older employees January 19, 2022 One of Britain’s biggest insurers is set to stop using the words “enthusiastic” and “energetic” in job adverts, so as not to deter old people from making applications. Phoenix Group, which owns insurance company Standard Life, will also use “age-diverse” imagery in its postings to increase “the likelihood of older applicants applying.” The plans come [...]
Climate-conscious insurers scrap coal exit policy to stay on right side of antitrust rules January 19, 2022 A coalition of climate-conscious insurance companies have reportedly scrapped plans to stop insuring coal miners, to ensure they are not violating antitrust laws. The Net Zero Insurance Alliance, whose founding members include Axa, Allianz, and Aviva, dropped plans for a coal exit, after receiving advice from lawyers that the plans to join forces to prevent [...]
Ex-Deloitte manager claims Deloitte defrauded VW and ignored #MeToo allegations January 19, 2022 A former manager at Deloitte has accused the firm of defrauding Volkswagen and failing to investigate allegations of sexual harassment in its Stuttgart office. The former manager, who is currently suing Deloitte for unfair dismissal, told a Stuttgart labour court that Deloitte overcharged Volkswagen, after billing the car manufacturer for more hours than it had [...]
Former KPMG partner fined £150,000 for misleading regulator January 19, 2022 Britain’s accounting watchdog has fined former KPMG partner Stuart Smith £150,000, after he admitted misleading the regulator during a spot inspection. Smith and KPMG admitted misleading the UK’s Financial Reporting Council (FRC) during its inspection of an audit of data management firm Regenersis’ financial statements. Smith will also be banned from the Institute of Chartered [...]
Lloyd’s of London weighs up leaving iconic headquarters January 19, 2022 Lloyd’s of London is considering leaving its iconic headquarters as it seeks out ways to adapt to shifts in working habits brought about by digitalisation of its business and Covid-19. In an email to City AM, a Lloyd’s of London spokesperson said: “As we adapt to new structures and flexible ways of working, we are [...]
Ex-KPMG partner blames junior colleagues for fabricated documents January 18, 2022 A former partner at KPMG, who led the audit of Carillion, has blamed junior colleagues for fabricating documents given to the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), during an industry tribunal into claims that papers were forged to deceive the industry regulator. Former KPMG partner, Peter Meehan, who left the KPMG on “agreement” in January 2021 after [...]
Government doubles Magistrates’ sentencing powers to cut Crown Court backlog January 18, 2022 Magistrates will be given new powers to jail people for up to a year, therefore doubling magistrates sentencing powers, in a bid to reduce the backlog faced by Crown Courts. Under current rules, magistrates have the power to hand down six-month jail sentences, meaning any cases that warrant a longer sentence must be passed [...]