EY faces $2.7bn lawsuit over NMC Health audit May 28, 2022 The administrators of collapsed healthcare group NMC Health’s bankruptcy proceedings have filed a $2.7bn (£2.1bn) lawsuit against Big Four accountancy firm EY, over claims the auditor failed to spot a multi-billion-dollar fraud at the former-FTSE 100 firm. The High Court lawsuit claims EY failed to spot NMC Health’s accounts had been fraudulently misstated, that the [...]
Companies should brace themselves for an avalanche of climate lawsuits, lawyers say May 26, 2022 London listed companies should brace themselves for an avalanche of climate related lawsuits, as shareholders and NGOs increasingly resort to litigation over climate related financial risks, lawyers have said. Investors are increasingly suing companies for breaching their fiduciary duties, over their failures to limit their exposure to climate risks, Fiona Huntriss, a partner at London [...]
Brussels outlines plans to bolster EU powers to seize oligarchs’ assets May 26, 2022 The European Commission is set to bolster the powers it has to seize oligarchs’ assets, after the bloc faced troubles in actually confiscating property due to the safeguards embedded in EU countries’ laws. The EU’s executive body set out plans to boost the powers it has to take control of criminals’ assets, with a view [...]
Fugitive Russian oligarch allowed to sell Belgravia mansion to pay £10m legal fees May 26, 2022 A High Court judge has said fugitive Russian banker Georgy Bedzhamov should be allowed to sell his £35m Belgravia mansion, to pay his lawyers £10m in legal fees. The High Court gave Bedzhamov the OK to sell his mansion on London’s ultra-expensive Belgrave Square, to pay £5m to Mishcon de Reya and a further £5m [...]
Addleshaw Goddard shutters Hong Kong offices due to ‘unique’ challenges posed by city-state May 26, 2022 City law firm Addleshaw Goddard has shuttered its Hong Kong offices with a view to sending lawyers to London, Singapore, and Dubai. John Joyce, managing director of the centuries old law firm, said Addleshaw had decided to close its Hong Kong offices due to the “unique set of challenges” it has faced since first opening [...]
Lawyers must work 2,400 hours a year to get coveted partner promotions, Hogan Lovells chief says May 25, 2022 The head of City of London law firm Hogan Lovells has told staff they are expected to work at least 2,400 hours a year if they expect to rise to partner level. In a memo sent out to staff, chief executive Miguel Zaldivar said “success typically means” making an “all in commitment” to the firm, [...]
Ex-Clyde & Co partner ‘rebuked’ after putting arm around female colleague at a strip club May 25, 2022 An ex-Clyde & Co lawyer has been “rebuked” by the solicitors’ watchdog for putting his arm around a female trainee solicitor at a strip club. The former personal injury lawyer, who was fired from the City law firm in 2018, was also told to pay £600 to the solicitors’ watchdog to cover the costs of [...]
Accountancy firms ask for exemptions from ban on providing services to Russia May 24, 2022 Accountancy firms have asked the UK government to offer exemptions to professional services firms from rules blocking them from working with Russian clients. The calls come after the government this month set out plans to block British accountants, business consultants, and PR managers from providing their services to Russians, in response to the country’s invasion [...]
Magic Circle law firm Clifford Chance ups pay for junior lawyers to £125,000 a year May 24, 2022 Magic Circle law firm Clifford Chance has upped pay for its newly qualified (NQ) lawyers to £125,000 a year, in a sign the UK’s most prestigious law firms are facing continued pressure to offer huge salaries to their most junior solicitors in order to recruit and retain top talent. The firm told City A.M. its [...]
SRA to increase fining powers after pushing forwards with plans for £25,000 penalties May 24, 2022 The UK’s solicitor’s watchdog is set to increase its fining powers 12 and half times over, by upping its maximum fining threshold to £25,000. The Solicitor’s Regulation Authority (SRA) said it is pushing forwards with plans to increase its maximum fines from £2,000 to £25,000, after the plans came under fire from law firms. The [...]