Lobbying giants weighed deal for Mandelson’s Global Counsel October 7, 2026 Two of London’s top advisory firms considered buying Global Counsel out of administration after the lobbying shop founded by Peter Mandelson collapsed amid revelations over its ties with Jeffrey Epstein. FGS Global and Flint Global were among several major consultancies presented with an offer to acquire Mandelson’s failed boutique by administrators, two people familiar with [...]
KPMG Australia seeks $100m bailout from parent group after scandal October 6, 2026 KPMG Australia is reportedly considering asking for $100m (£52.6m) in emergency loans from the Big Four firm’s global network after a scandal rocked the firm’s reputation and business down under. The Australian firm’s newly appointed chief executive, John Sams, has considered asking KPMG International to loan the arm up to $100m or waive its fee [...]
Accenture shares surge as consulting giant shrugs off worst of AI fears October 1, 2026 Shares in consulting giant Accenture surged on Thursday after the firm topped its own revenue targets and shrugged off the worst fears of an AI-induced slowdown. The New-York listed consultant said fourth-quarter revenues rose by six per cent to $18.7bn [£14.1bn], outpacing its own target of between $17.7bn [£13.4bn] to $18.4bn [£13.9bn]. Wall Street analysts had [...]
Businesses braced for wave of tribunal claims as government expands legal time limit September 30, 2026 Employers are set to face a fresh legal headache as the time limit for employees to bring claims to employment tribunals doubles, as the next phase of the reformed Employment Rights Act takes effect. From 1 October, employees will be given the legal right to take six months to bring cases to court against employers [...]
The sugar rush is over: The Big Four must wake up from their pandemic dream September 30, 2026 The pandemic was the worst thing that could have happened to the Big Four giants and the overall consultancy market. At the time, these firms were flying high, flooded with inquiries from businesses needing help to navigate the ‘once-in-a-lifetime ‘ event, but this ‘sugar rush’ didn’t last forever, and it gave the industry a false [...]
Deloitte UK advisory arm rebounds to growth as new boss insists AI ‘can’t replace lived experience’ September 30, 2026 Big Four giant Deloitte’s new UK boss, Darren Graves, insisted AI “can’t replace lived experience” as the firm’s advisory arms return to growth. Revenue for the year ended 31 May 2026 for the UK arm was up 2 per cent to £5.81bn, with growth across all businesses. The firm’s technology and transformation arm led with 4 [...]
Grant Thornton takes on Big Four giants with new £40K salary for London grads September 29, 2026 Grant Thornton has raised its London graduate starting salary to £40,000 and introduced “milestone bonuses” into the pay structure as part of the firm’s ambition for significant growth. The private equity-backed firm has overhauled its early careers programme, first reported by City AM in April, and will offer ‘market-leading’ starting salaries to London juniors of £40,000 from [...]
Deloitte’s tech consulting division weighs on growth September 24, 2026 Deloitte reported a rise in revenue in its latest financial year even as growth in its technology and transformation division slipped lower, as the consultancy sector comes under pressure from artificial intelligence. The Big Four firm reported global revenue of $74.5bn (£56.37bn) for the 12 months to the end of May, up from $70.5bn the [...]
How AI is forcing the Big Four to rethink graduate training September 23, 2026 The Big Four giants – KPMG, Deloitte, EY, and PwC – have for decades played an important role in shaping the next generation of City workers. As one of the largest graduate trainers in the UK, their approach to restructuring graduate programmes in the age of AI will be crucial to the future of financial [...]
Baker Tilly chief warns Budget may carry ‘pain cost’ for businesses bracing tax changes September 23, 2026 The chief executive of professional services giant Baker Tilly International has warned the upcoming Budget will likely carry a heavy “pain cost” for UK businesses bracing for tax changes. “It’s going to be a ride, isn’t it,” Francesca Lagerberg, Baker Tilly International‘s chief executive told City AM. “The mood music is that it won’t be [...]