Serious Fraud Office prosecutes just four money laundering cases since 2014 August 1, 2019 The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has received 153 reports concerning an allegation of money laundering since 2014, but prosecuted just four cases. The SFO figures, which were a response to a freedom of information request by law firm Greenberg Traurig, show the SFO received 41 reports containing money laundering allegations in 2018 but did not [...]
KPMG fined £3.5m for BNY Mellon report misconduct August 1, 2019 Big Four firm KPMG has been fined £3.5m and one of its directors £52,000 for misconduct related to a client asset report for Bank of New York Mellon in 2011. Watchdog the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) levied a fine of £5m against KPMG which was discounted by 30 per cent for admissions of misconduct. It [...]
National Crime Agency secures fourth unexplained wealth order against Northern Irish woman with suspected paramilitary links July 31, 2019 The National Crime Agency (NCA) today said it had secured the fourth unexplained wealth order (UWO) against a Northern Irish woman with suspected paramilitary and organised crime links. The NCA said it suspected the woman is associated with criminals involved in paramilitary activity and cigarette smuggling. Read more: The UK’s newest weapon in the war [...]
Listed law firm DWF riding high on Brexit-related litigation July 31, 2019 Law firm DWF said its maiden results to the stock market were improved by an increase in litigation caused by Brexit-related economic uncertainty. In its first full-year results since it became the UK’s largest listed law firm via a March float, the firm said revenue had increased 15 per cent £272m. Profit before tax fell [...]
Once-staid audit sector enters brave new world July 30, 2019 The days of auditors as grey-suited backroom boys is over. Whether they like it or not, the spotlight turned on the sector following the collapse of outsourcer Carillion has not diminished in intensity. The Big Four face the challenge of a potential raft of reforms designed to rein them in, overseen by a new beefed-up [...]
Former Baker McKenzie London head Gary Senior to face prosecution for alleged sexual harassment July 30, 2019 The former head of global legal giant Baker McKenzie’s London office is facing prosecution for alleged sexual harassment, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) said today. Gary Senior, who left the firm last year, has been referred to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) to face allegations he “behaved in an inappropriate manner towards Person A”. In [...]
BDO still leads the beancounter charts with most clients on Aim July 29, 2019 BDO has extended its lead as the beancounter with the most clients on London’s alternative investment market (Aim), according to a new report from Adviser Rankings. Read more: Accountancy firm of the year Big four accountancy group PwC also nudged up into third place on the table by total constituent numbers, while RSM has moved [...]
Barclays and RBS among banks hit by £1bn forex rigging lawsuit July 29, 2019 Barclays and the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) are among five banks targeted in a £1bn class action lawsuit over forex rigging that was filed today. The action follows a May ruling by the European Commission that Barclays, RBS, JP Morgan, Citibank and UBS had violated EU competition law. The five banks have been collectively [...]
SFO cuts spending on lawyers as conviction rate falls July 28, 2019 The serious fraud office’s (SFO) spending on staff and external counsel fell last year, while its conviction rate crumbled to just over 53 per cent. The figures, released in the SFO’s annual report, show spending on staff fell 2.4 per cent to £30.6m last year, with spending on external counsel dropping 5.7 per cent to [...]
MPs call for audit watchdog to reform after endorsing new chair Simon Dingemans July 22, 2019 An influential committee of MPs has called for radical reforms from Britain’s accountancy watchdog after endorsing the appointment of its proposed new chair. Parliament’s Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee (Beis) has given its approval for Simon Dingemans to take over as chair of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), but has urged the group to [...]