Audit must reclaim its Victorian roots to win back public trust January 15, 2019 Today marks the first anniversary of the collapse of Carillion. It is also the first day that the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy select committee takes evidence in its inquiry into the audit market. Carillion’s downfall brought the role of audit in business and society into the spotlight, and was a watershed moment for the [...]
Shares in recruitment firm Page Group drop amid macroeconomic uncertainty despite record profits January 14, 2019 Recruitment firm Page Group saw its shares fall by seven per cent today after it said in its annual results statement that Brexit uncertainty has affected the job market. The FTSE 250 recruiter said that while it had increased its number of fee-earning staff by 561 in the first three quarters of 2018, this slowed [...]
Let Jeff Bezos be a lesson: Have a plan for if your marriage ends January 14, 2019 Amazon chief Jeff Bezos and his wife MacKenzie have announced that their marriage is ending, likely leading to the largest divorce settlement in history. Though the couple has asserted that their separation will be amicable, the divorce proceedings could still be complex, highlighting the risks to entrepreneurs when marriages end. The law in Washington State, [...]
Exclusive: Deloitte hires senior Magic Circle partner to lead its push into the UK legal market January 14, 2019 Big Four accountancy firm Deloitte has hired a senior partner from the Magic Circle to lead its expansion into the UK legal market after announcing plans to target the sector last year. The audit firm has appointed veteran Allen & Overy banking partner Michael Castle as managing partner for Deloitte Legal to lead its UK [...]
Galacticos! Inside the US law firm building the most expensive team in UK legal history January 13, 2019 In 2000 Real Madrid signed Portuguese football star Luis Figo from arch rivals Barcelona in a move that signalled the start of the galacticos era at the Spanish club which used its financial clout to bring other international stars such as Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham and Brazilian striker Ronaldo to the Bernabeu in the following [...]
Accenture chief executive Pierre Nanterme steps down for health reasons January 11, 2019 Accenture chairman and chief executive Pierre Nanterme has stepped down, citing health reasons. The company's chief financial officer David Rowland will become interim chief executive officer and independent director Marge Magner has been appointed as the company’s non-executive chair of the board. Finance operations leader KC McClure will take on the chief financial officer role. [...]
Silk: City lawyers among 108 new Queen’s Counsels appointed today January 10, 2019 The number of new Queen’s Counsel appointed has dipped to a three-year low with 108 lawyers appointed this year, down from 119 last year. Lawyers are required to go through a rigorous application process to become a QC, known as taking silk, with the successful candidates appointed by the Queen on the advice of Lord [...]
New visa for architects as trade body calls for ‘drastic reform’ of UK immigration system post-Brexit January 10, 2019 The Home Office launched a visa scheme for exceptional architects today as the Royal Institute of British Architects (Riba) argues UK immigration legislation needs a drastic overhaul post-Brexit to safeguard the £4.8bn industry. From today architects will be able to apply for Tier 1 (exceptional talent) visas – the first bespoke immigration category available for [...]
Merger growth drives Grant Thornton International to record £4.3bn revenues January 9, 2019 Grant Thornton International reported record revenues of $5.45bn (£4.28bn), lifted by income expansion from international mergers, and strong growth in its tax and advisory arms. The figure is up $450m on last year, representing an average growth of 9.4 per cent across the whole organisation – slightly behind the 10.7 per cent global growth at [...]
US legal business Elevate acquires UK new law company Halebury as it targets London float January 8, 2019 US legal business Elevate has today announced it has acquired UK new law business Halebury as it continues expansion ahead of a possible London float. Elevate, which has been backed by Morgan Stanley Expansion Capital, brands itself as a “law company” and provides services to in-house legal departments at companies such as Oracle and Facebook. [...]