Serious Fraud Office: Osofsky backs government’s plan for new ‘failure to prevent’ fraud offence January 25, 2023 The director of the UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has backed plans for a new ‘failure to prevent’ fraud offence, after government ministers today confirmed the offence would make its way on the statute books. SFO chief Lisa Osofsky said government plans to introduce a failure to prevent offence for fraud has the “potential to [...]
Former Janus Henderson analyst charged in £1.5m insider trading case January 25, 2023 The UK’s financial watchdog has launched criminal proceedings against five individuals over claims they used insider information from an analyst at a top asset manager to illegally generate profits of £1.5m. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) claims Redinel Korfuzi, a former analyst at asset manager Janus Henderson, and his associates allegedly used confidential information from [...]
Private finance firms have fewer women leaders than listed rivals, new research shows January 23, 2023 Financial services companies that are structured as privately-owned partnerships have significantly fewer women in leadership positions than their publicly-listed rivals, new research shows. Fewer than one-sixth (15.1 per cent) of partners in privately-owned finance firms are women, according to research from employment law firm Fox & Partners. By comparison, women account for 43 per [...]
UK’s data watchdog to shift away from big fines to focus on prevention January 18, 2023 The UK’s data watchdog has vowed to shift away from simply hitting companies with big fines for breaching data privacy rules and instead will look to adopt a more preventative approach. John Edwards, head of the Information Commissioner’s Office, said today that he will focus on preventing data breaches from happening in the first place [...]
Gateley chief says truce in legal sector pay war will boost firm’s expansion plans January 18, 2023 An easing of the pay war between law firms has already begun to benefit Gateley’s balance sheet as the listed law firm’s chief executive outlined his expansion plans to City A.M. Gateley boss Rod Waldie said the “whole sector is benefiting” from the calming of the legal sector pay war that has seen lawyers’ salaries [...]
London firm Shipleys investigated over audit of Russian fintech Zaim Credit Systems January 18, 2023 The UK’s accounting regulator has launched an investigation into London accounting firm Shipleys over its audit work for the UK-listed holding company of Russian fintech firm Zaim Express. The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) said today that it has decided to open an investigation into the firm’s audit of Zaim Credit Systems’ 2021 accounts. The FRC’s [...]
UK law firms plunged into bankruptcy by soaring insurance premiums January 17, 2023 Dozens of UK law firms have collapsed into bankruptcy over the last year due to being unable to obtain the insurance policies they need to continue operating, new research shows. The rising cost of taking out professional indemnity insurance (PII) policies – that cover any losses arising from negligent services – caused nine UK [...]
London partners paid 25 per cent more at US law firms, new data shows January 16, 2023 The top US law firms are now paying their London partners significantly more than their British rivals, in another sign of American dominance in the UK legal sector. Partners in the London offices of the top 15 US law firms took away 25 per cent higher payouts than their counterparts in the UK’s top 15 [...]
London-listed law firm Knights bolsters business with Meade King acquisition January 16, 2023 Knights today acquired commercial law firm Meade King for £2.1m as the London-listed law firm pushes forwards with plans to bolster its business via mergers and acquisitions. Under the terms of the deal, Knights – one of just six UK listed law firms – will take on 29 of Meade King’s lawyers, including four partners. [...]
City law firms risk losing talent unless they reduce swelling workloads, research shows January 15, 2023 British law firms could struggle to retain talent if they do not ease workloads that are pushing burnout rates higher, new research reveals. Nearly two in three of UK legal professionals have experienced burnout as a result of their work despite the sector stepping mental health support, a new survey out earlier this week of [...]