PwC seeks to bolster top ranks by poaching partners from Big Four rivals December 4, 2022 PwC is seeking to bolster its top ranks by poaching partners from its Big Four rivals. The accounting firm is hoping to hire up to 500 new partners with expertise in tax, cloud services, financial crime, and ESG advice, the Financial Times first reported. In doing so, PwC is seeking to take advantage of discontent [...]
KPMG to bolster legal services offering through deal with Zico Law December 1, 2022 KPMG has struck a deal to incorporate one of South East Asia’s biggest law firms, Zico Law, into its global partnership. The deal will see Zico Law’s more than 275 lawyers join KPMG’s 2,900-strong legal team. The merger is set to expand KPMG’s footprint in the Asia Pacific region, by extending its legal services offerings [...]
Law Society backs calls to smash City’s ‘class ceiling’ by boosting social mobility November 30, 2022 The Law Society today backed calls to break the “class ceiling” by boosting social mobility in the City. The solicitors’ body came out in support of the City of London’s push towards 50 per cent of senior leaders in the financial and professional services sector coming from non-professional backgrounds. The Law Society said it [...]
BDO partners see payouts drop following £70m hiring spree November 30, 2022 BDO’s managing partner today said the firm will continue investing in long-term growth after partners saw their payouts drop 15 per cent as the result of a £70m spending spree. Speaking to City A.M. Paul Eagland also refused to rule out a firm-wide split as he signaled BDO may follow EY in separating its audit [...]
KPMG’s failings led to Carillion’s collapse, High Court lawsuit says November 28, 2022 KPMG’s incompetence in its audits of Carillion played a core part in the construction giant’s 2018 collapse, Carillion’s liquidators have said, as part of a £1.3bn lawsuit against the Big Four accounting firm. KPMG’s 2016 audit of Carillion lulled the construction firm’s board into a false sense of security that saw the firm make a [...]
EY split could undermine audit quality, former partners warn November 17, 2022 More than 150 former EY partners have written a letter to the accounting firm’s board, warning its plans to split in two could weaken both segments of the business and undermine EY’s audit quality. The ex-EY partners noted the firm’s new standalone audit business – AssureCo – will have “significantly lower” earnings than its advisory [...]
EY to delay partner votes due to complex legal wrangling November 14, 2022 Votes on plans to split EY in two are not set to begin until the start of next year, after being delayed by legal wrangling. The ballots, which were set to start this month, will not take place until early 2023, due to the complexities the firm has faced in finalizing the legal framework through [...]
FRC fines hit record highs as watchdog sends ‘clear message’ to UK’s audit sector November 14, 2022 The UK’s Financial Reporting Council (FRC) fined auditors a record £33.3m in the year running up to 30 September 2022, new figures from Thomson Reuters Confirmation shows. The record high sum marks a 77 per cent increase on the £18.7m fines – after discounts and adjustments – handed out in the previous year. The [...]
Cypriot PwC partners set up new firm to continue working with Russian clients November 8, 2022 Three ex-partners from PwC’s Cyprus office have left the Big Four accountancy firm to set up a new rival practice in order to continue working with Russian clients. The launch of KiteServe comes after the three ex-PwC partners took early retirement from the Big Four firm in June, after its sanctions policy blocked them [...]
UK’s new government should simply ‘get on’ with audit reform, letter to Rishi Sunak says November 4, 2022 The UK’s new government should simply “get on” with plans to overhaul the audit sector, to ensure the long-term stability and resilience of Britain’s economy, the head of one of the country’s largest accountancy sector trade bodies has said. In three separate letters to prime minister Rishi Sunak, business secretary Grant Shapps and chancellor [...]