FCA warns equity crowdfunding CEOs of consumers making ‘high-risk’ investments August 18, 2021 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has written to the CEOs of equity crowdfunding platforms, to warn them that consumers are still making “inappropriate high-risk” investments despite the current marketing restrictions, as first reported in P2P Finance News. The FCA said crowdfunding firms should “promote investment opportunities appropriately so that consumers can understand the risks these [...]
PwC partner accused of leaking in £63m lawsuit leaves firm August 18, 2021 Ian Green, the former PwC head of restructuring, left the firm on 30 June according to Companies House filings, following accusations by Watchstone that he leaked confidential information about the PwC client. Aquis Exchange-listed Watchstone, an insurance and technology group, have said that Green disclosed its information to a banker at Greenhill & Co in [...]
Insurance payouts for Covid business interruption near £1bn August 17, 2021 Insurers have paid out almost £1bn in claims to businesses that were forced shut during nationwide lockdowns, according to the latest figures released by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) this week. Insurance companies paid out £637m in full settlements to policyholders with cover for business interruption since January as well as over £309m in interim payments, brining the total to £946m. But the total payments for claims could be higher still, as more than 38 [...]
Travers Smith moving London HQ next door to Deloitte and Goldman Sachs August 17, 2021 Law firm Travers Smith will relocate its City of London headquarters in 2025 and neighbour Goldman Sachs and Deloitte offices. Its new headquarters will be based at Stonecutter Court, a 13-storey office in Farringdon which is a short distance from its current location on Snow Hill in the same area. The silver circle firm signed a [...]
Datasite executive Merlin Piscitelli on the UK’s fintech funding boom and the future of M&A August 13, 2021 British fintech investment across M&A deals, private equity (PE) and venture capital (VC) has boomed as the country emerges from the pandemic, soaring in the first six months of 2021 to four times the $5.9bn invested during the whole of 2020. Investment in UK fintech has reached an all-time high as firms in the industry [...]
Apple child protection features spark concern among its own staff August 13, 2021 Apple employees have spoken out internally about privacy concerns over the firm’s move to scan US customer phones and computers for child sex abuse images as protests over the new feature intensify, it is reported. More than 800 messages were shared between Apple staff across several days on an internal Slack channel, sources told Reuters, [...]
Divorce enquiries jump 136 per cent as lockdown restrictions ease August 13, 2021 The number of people seeking divorce related advice has soared by 136 per cent in June, compared to January, as lockdown restrictions ease, according to a law firm. Law practice Stewarts said the figures follow the busiest 18 months it has seen in the history of its divorce and family practice as the number [...]
German MPs fail in bid to publish ‘dynamite’ report on EY’s Wirecard audits August 13, 2021 Germany’s highest court has rejected an attempt by MPs to force the publication of an unredacted report into EY’s audits of Wirecard, according to reports. The lawsuit was filed by MPs who had investigated the Wirecard fraud, one of the biggest corporate scandals, according to the Financial Times. The Federal High Court of Justice has [...]
Travers Smith partner profits soar 21 per cent to £1.2m August 10, 2021 Travers Smith partner profits have soared by over a fifth to £1.2m, following investment in asset management, M&A and dispute resolution. Profit per equity partner rose by 21.5 per cent to £1.2m while turnover was up 15 per cent at £186m according to provisional figures for the year ended 30 June 2021. “None of us [...]
EU puts tech tax on hold, amid US pressure – but Ireland pushes back July 12, 2021 The EU has decided to delay plans for a new digital services tax, under pressure from the US administration and after the G20 agreed to a global overhaul of corporation tax – but EU member Ireland has restated its criticisms of the wider reform. The European Commission had planned to outline its proposed tech tax [...]
