The seven key qualities of accountants of the future June 23, 2016 From the global fall in oil prices back in March to the months of uncertainty created by today’s EU referendum, so far 2016 has been an unpredictable year for businesses in the UK. Of course, challenges such as these are nothing new. In the modern, global economy, volatility is the new normal. The question now [...]
Italian job: Law firm Fieldfisher agrees merger with Italy’s SASPI June 21, 2016 Fieldfisher has today agreed a merger with Italian law firm Studio Associato Servizi Professionali Integrati (SASPI). The merger, which will take the form of a Swiss verein style association, will take effect at the start of next month and SASPI will be adopting the Fieldfisher brand name. The two firms combined will have around 970 professionals and [...]
Court told: Failure to spot fixing is like missing nudists on a beach June 15, 2016 The possibility that Barclays bosses did not notice the manipulation of Libor submissions is the equivalent of them failing to spot nudists on a beach, a lawyer said yesterday. Adrian Darbishire, a lawyer for ex-trader Ryan Reich, said in his closing arguments that it was more likely executives didn’t think anything was wrong with what was going [...]
Creative and technology industries best served by Remain vote, warns law firm June 14, 2016 A Brexit would hamper the UK's creative and technological industries, a law firm specialising in intellectual property has today warned. EIP also noted that it was supporting the Remain campaign, adding that a vote to leave the EU would be bad for intellectual property (IP) rights holders in general. Read more: ECB to do "whatever it [...]
Scrapping tax havens would be unrealistic, experts tell MPs June 14, 2016 It would be unrealistic to think low corporation tax jurisdictions, or so-called tax havens, could be eradicated, the Treasury committee was told today. Responding to a question from the committee on whether tax havens are a relic, Steve Edge, a tax partner at Slaughter and May, pointed out that different jurisdictions had different "packages" on what they could offer businesses. He added [...]
Fees soar for legal eagles, as law firms reveal they are modestly optimistic about their future June 14, 2016 Lawyers had reason to celebrate today, after a report revealed that fees at the top 100 law firms rose by 5.4 per cent in the year to April. The report by professional services firm Deloitte revealed that fee income in the last quarter of the financial year increased by an average of six per cent year-on-year. Firms are [...]
Leaving the EU is a walk into the unknown that would put our prosperity at risk June 14, 2016 As arguments on either side of the EU referendum debate are increasingly cast as products of fear or fantasy, an objective assessment is becoming, for the many in the undecided camp, increasingly difficult. I appreciate that there are emotional and political considerations in this important debate. But I prefer to see it in purely business [...]
Goldman Sachs accused in court hearing of using gifts of prostitutes and Moroccan getaways to win Libyan business June 13, 2016 Goldman Sachs has been accused of lavishing Libyan officials with gifts such as prostitutes and trips to locations like Morocco in a bid to secure business in a court hearing today. In a case that opened at the high court in London today, the Libyan Investment Authority (LIA) is taking legal action against Goldman Sachs on allegations that the [...]
Brexit vote could scrap first in time rule for divorcees, says Mayfair lawyer June 13, 2016 A vote to leave the EU on 23 June could result in a key divorce rule being chucked out, a Mayfair-based lawyer told City A.M. today. Jo Edwards, partner and head of family at Forsters, pointed out that the first in time rule, whereby a divorce which involves parties with links to different EU countries [...]
Now KPMG stands down as Fifa’s auditors June 13, 2016 KPMG has stood down as auditors of Fifa after more than a decade of service, the football association revealed in a statement today. Fifa said that it "welcomes" the change, which will give it a chance to work with a new audit firm. A new auditor has not yet been appointed. However, Fifa acknowledged that, particularly [...]