Affluent Big Four partners lack ‘fire in the belly’ to disrupt consulting market Advisory The trend of Big Four partners leaving to launch boutique consultancies has accelerated in recent years. But Q5 co-founder has told City AM that many will struggle to build true challenger brands without an “all or nothing” approach. Five founders, including managing partner Olly Purnell, launched boutique consultancy firm Q5 at the height of the global financial [...]
Private equity-backed advisory firm acquires specialist music boutique Advisory Mid-tier accountancy and advisory firm BKL has snapped up a smaller counterpart in its latest acquisition, aiming to strengthen its focus on the music, media, and entertainment sector in London. City-based BKL, which offers tax, accounting, and business advisory services, has snapped up specialist music accountancy firm Dales Evans, as it “continues to expand its [...]
Brompton Bicycle sues former adviser for ‘professional negligence’ Lawsuit Folding bike firm Brompton Bicycle is set to sue its former accounting and tax advisor AAB Group for professional negligence, City AM can reveal. London-based Brompton has launched legal action in the High Court against the Scottish-headquartered business advisory firm, according to court records. The defendants are listed as AAB Business & Tax Advisory LLP, [...]
Boutique London advisory firm lands £8m funding amid M&A frenzy August 11, 2026 A boutique M&A advisory firm has landed £8m in fresh funding as it seeks to capitalise on a wave of takeover activity, City AM can reveal. London-based Lava Advisory Partners, which was founded in 2020, secured the debt finance from specialist SME lender Beechbrook Capital. The B Corp-certified firm said it would use the cash [...]
Global advisory giant Brunswick explores capital raise August 3, 2026 City PR and advisory heavyweight Brunswick is reportedly weighing up a fresh cash injection via a sale of a stake in the firm, setting the stage for a punchy windfall for its top executives. Five years after securing a £500m valuation following the sale of a 10.7 per cent stake to US private bank BDT [...]
Regulator flags BDO’s ‘unacceptable’ audit issues for fifth year in a row July 22, 2026 Accountancy giant BDO has been flagged for an “unacceptable” standard of audit quality by the watchdog for a fifth year in a row. The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) said in its yearly audit quality report that BDO’s overall audit quality fell below expected standards and “has received unsatisfactory results from regulatory inspections” consistently for five [...]
BTG Consulting cites poaching from ‘major competitors’ for boosted revenues July 7, 2026 London-listed professional services giant BTG Consulting’s revenue has spiked by 10 per cent for the financial year, partly driven by a push to poach senior talent from top competitors in the City. The consulting firm, previously known as Begbies Traynor before undergoing an official rebrand in February this year, said its revenue for the financial [...]
British consultants face slowdown as corporate spending slumps July 7, 2026 The British consulting industry is set to grow by a single digit this year as the sector faces a slowdown in spending from corporate clients. According to research from the Management Consultancies Association (MCA), the primary representative body for management consulting firms in the UK, the UK consulting sector’s predicted growth for 2026 stands at [...]
Coca-Cola brings in restructuring lineup over failed Costa sale June 22, 2026 US beverage giant Coca-Cola has called in a team of restructuring experts to advise on the failed sale of high street drinks retailer Costa Coffee last year. Consultancy firms Alvarez & Marsal and Alix Partners, which both have prominent City presences, are reportedly advising the coffee chain after an attempt to sell it off was [...]
KPMG report on AI found riddled with AI hallucinations June 12, 2026 A new probe into Big Four KPMG’s report on agentic AI found that the majority of its references were flawed, amid the latest news of AI-hallucinated reports published by professional services firms. The investigation, conducted by GPTZero, focused on KPMG’s October 2025 report, ‘Total Experience: Redefining Excellence in the Age of Agentic AI’, which summarises [...]