Crispin Odey settles sexual assault claims ahead of trial Lawsuit Former hedge fund tycoon Crispin Odey has settled a string of sexual assault allegations brought against him just weeks ahead of a trial that was due next month. Odey had faced five personal injury claims against him brought by women who accused him of sexual assault. But he has settled four of the claims before [...]
Norwegian billionaire forced back to London in £285m Deutsche Bank dispute Legal Norwegian billionaire Alexander Vik has been ordered to return to the City to be interrogated about his hidden assets during a 13-year-long legal dispute with Deutsche Bank. The bank first sued the business mogul’s company, Sebastian Holdings, in 2009 after the company suffered a series of losses on foreign exchange and equities trade deals during [...]
Mike Ashley wins trademark appeal, throwing out eye-watering damages bill Legal The retail empire of business tycoon Mike Ashley has won an appeal challenging damages awarded in a trademark infringement claim, sidestepping paying a potentially stinging bill. The judgment follows a longstanding legal dispute between the discount sports retailer and the Beverly Hills Polo Club brand, owned and managed by Lifestyle Equities, which argued Ashley’s Sports [...]
Burges Salmon and Wexler roll out firm-wide legal AI partnership May 11, 2026 Leading UK law firm Burges Salmon is rolling out a new company-wide partnership with legal tech startup Wexler to aid lawyers in litigation work, City AM can reveal. The Bristol-headquartered legal practice said Wexler is “a reliable option” and the firm-wide partnership follows “a successful integration” of adopting Wexler in the Dispute Resolution team in [...]
City calls on tech firms to tackle Britain’s fraud epidemic May 8, 2026 The City of London Corporation is calling on tech firms to help build a new digital identity verification network, designed to crack down on fraud and reduce the growing costs of financial scams. Under the plans, shared with City AM, consumers would verify their identity once with a trusted provider before reusing those credentials across [...]
Poundstretcher seeks rent cuts in survival bid May 7, 2026 Discount retailer Poundstretcher is set to be restructured by its owner, Fortress Investment Group, to reduce property-related overheads and avoid closure. The plan will see the retail chain, which operates 298 stores in the UK, stabilise a “substantial fall in turnover” and rising leasehold costs, the Insolvency and Companies Court heard today. In the High [...]
City law firms put US partner promotions in the spotlight May 7, 2026 As law firms increasingly shift their focus to the US there has been a surge in partner promos across the Atlantic – while London is becoming more selective, writes Maria Ward-Brennan. It’s that time of year when my inbox gets flooded with press releases and Companies House notifications about partner promotions at the City’s finest [...]
Revealed: The 2026 City AM Awards Winners May 7, 2026 Around 500 guests enjoyed a night of celebration at London’s Guildhall on Wednesday 6 May where the winners of the 2026 City AM Awards were crowned. From 60 finalists across 12 categories, the judges chose their champions. Personality of the Year Greg Jackson CBE The entrepreneur and CEO of Octopus Energy has become one of [...]
Divorce costs hit finances beyond lawyer fees, says Octopus legal group May 6, 2026 Divorce costs are financially draining for separating couples in the UK beyond just legal fees, according to a new report from Octopus-owned legal service, Amicable. The report, which surveyed 2,000 UK adults who have either divorced, separated, or dissolved a civil partnership over the last 10 years, found that almost 40 per cent said their [...]
City watchdog eyes new laws for claimant firms accused of ‘harm’ May 6, 2026 The City watchdog has threatened enforcement action and new laws to impose “stronger compensation mechanisms” against the claims management market, including law firms that cause harm. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has launched a fresh review of “the root causes of poor practices” across the market, as claims management companies and law firms come under [...]