FCA ‘worked backwards’ to justify motor finance redress, say lenders Banking A trio of motor finance lenders have accused the City watchdog of “working backwards” to justify its redress scheme that is set to cost the industry billions. In new documents, Mercedes-Benz’s financial services arm, which has set aside as much as £400m in payouts for the car mis-selling scandal, said the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) [...]
Treasury sought to cap motor finance payouts, court filings claim Banking The government sought to cap payouts in the motor finance scandal at a level lenders could absorb and the City regulator acted “unlawfully” in failing to protect consumers, new court filings seen by City AM allege. Both the Treasury and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) are facing fresh scrutiny over the motor finance redress scheme as [...]
City firms face FCA clampdown on bullying and harassment Legal City bosses are set for fresh scrutiny over the conduct of their staff as the financial regulator extends a clampdown on non-financial misconduct issues like bullying and harassment. After years of consultation, surveys and industry feedback, the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) new rules on non-financial misconduct in non-banking firms take effect on Tuesday for around [...]
Prince Harry’s courtroom defeat could drive up legal insurance premiums August 30, 2026 Prince Harry’s High Court defeat to the owner of the Daily Mail could send legal insurance premiums soaring, experts have warned, after the Duke and six other high-profile figures were left on the hook for an uninsured bill of £19m. The Duke of Sussex, Sir Elton John and his husband, David Furnish, actresses Liz Hurley [...]
City firms mandate phone and face-to-face comms bootcamps for Gen Z lawyers August 28, 2026 City Law firms are rolling out mandatory programmes to train their junior lawyers in communication skills, including how to speak on the phone and deal with clients in person. Addleshaw Goddard’s ‘early careers’ team introduced a training programme after identifying that some early-career lawyers “may have had limited exposure to a professional services environment and [...]
Clio hires legal tech veteran to overhaul backlogged courts August 25, 2026 Legal tech firm Clio has appointed Casetext’s co-founder to lead an initiative integrating AI directly into the court system. Clio, which currently offers its tech to lawyers and law firms, will create a “dedicated product line” of legal AI software “designed around the distinct needs of courts and judges”. Lawyer Pablo Arredondo was appointed to [...]
Prince Harry hit with £9.5m Daily Mail legal bill August 21, 2026 Prince Harry and six other high-profile figures have been ordered to pay £9.54m towards the Daily Mail publisher’s legal costs after losing their long-running privacy case. Judge Matthew Nicklin Nicklin ruled on Friday that the claimants must make an interim payment of £9,544,355 to Associated Newspapers by 28 August, after the publisher ran up costs [...]
Travelodge boss quits amid backlash over hotel sexual assault August 20, 2026 Travelodge boss Jo Boydell has quit as the budget hotel brand pursues an overhaul of its safety measures following a sexual assault at one of its sites. The group said on Thursday that Boydell will depart with immediate effect after 13 years in the role, thanking the chief executive for her “dedication” to the group. [...]
Trainees ‘exploiting’ aspiring lawyers by monetising advice on social media August 20, 2026 Trainee lawyers are taking to social media to monetise their “advice” and offer “mentorship” to aspiring candidates looking to land training contracts and apprenticeships, sparking backlash from industry veterans who claim the practice is exploitative. Paul Leamy, a solicitor at Temple Bright and former Winston Taylor partner of ten years, told City AM there is [...]
Incoming FRC chair sits on board of construction group facing criminal probe August 19, 2026 The woman in line to become chair of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) sits on the board of a company currently under criminal investigation, City AM can reveal. Dame Jayne-Anne Gadhia was named by the government last month as the next chair of the accounting watchdog and is set to take over in September when [...]