General Electric shareholders reject CEO’s mammoth $73.2m pay package May 4, 2021 A majority of shareholders at General Electric have rejected pay packages for senior officers, including CEO Larry Culp, who was set to receive a package worth $73.2m for 2020. Nearly 58 per cent of shareholders rejected GE’s pay packages, a strong rebuke to executives of the industrial company, which is in the middle of a [...]
Brussels recommends member states block UK from Lugano Convention May 4, 2021 The EU Commission has recommended that the EU does not give consent for the UK to join the Lugano Convention, an international legal pact. In an update today, the EU Commission said the Convention was designed to support third countries with particularly close regulatory integration with the EU, including being aligned with part of the [...]
Activists urge Blackrock and Vanguard to vote against Exxon CEO over climate concerns May 4, 2021 Climate activists have bombarded Exxon Mobil’s top shareholders with calls and emails, urging them to vote against the reelection of chief exec Darren Woods and lead independent director Kenneth Frazier at an upcoming shareholder meeting. Blackrock and Vanguard Group hold more than 13 per cent of Exxon share combined. Exxon is currently embroiled in battle [...]
Goldman Sach’s London employees to return to the office by 21 June May 4, 2021 Goldman Sachs employees in the UK will return to the office by 21 June, in line with the government’s easing of lockdown that should see the UK largely restriction-free. In an internal memo circulated among staff, and seen by City A.M., chief executive David Solomon said: “We know from experience that our culture of collaboration, [...]
Serious Fraud Office ends investigation into Airbus individuals May 4, 2021 The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has ended a criminal investigation into individuals associated with Airbus, after it agreed to a record €3.6bn global settlement 16 months ago. Three sources familiar with the investigation told Reuters the SFO had written to former suspects to say it would take no further action. Overseas prosecutors could, however, take [...]
Ex-Irwin Mitchell duo set up London boutique employment firm May 4, 2021 Former Irwin Mitchell partners Emilie Cole and Shazia Khan have launched a boutique law firm specialising in employment and professional discipline law. The firm, Cole Khan, is located in Chancery Lane, London’s legal heartland, across the road from the Law Society. Currently the firm is all-female, with just the founding partners, though it is looking [...]
Government spends £624m on consultancy contracts during pandemic May 4, 2021 The government has awarded contracts worth at least £624m to private firms for consulting, marketing and research purposes during the pandemic, despite criticism it has been too reliant on private firms during the crisis. In total some £30.2bn in contracts have now been awarded by the UK government in response to Covid-19, the latest figures [...]
ETL Global doubles UK legal footprint with London law firm buy May 4, 2021 International professional services group ETL Global has acquired Laytons, in a deal that will double the company’s footprint in the UK legal sector. Laytons, located just down the road from Liverpool Street station, is a 30-partner firm and employs a further 66 people. ETL has not disclosed how much it paid for the London firm, [...]
Listed law firm Knights buys Yorkshire firm May 4, 2021 Knights has agreed to acquire Keebles, a century-old Sheffield-based law firm, for £11.54m. The acquisition will see 138 lawyers join Knights, and will provide the listed law firm with entry into Sheffield. Knights will buy Keebles from its ten existing equity partners for a total of £11.54m, subject to working capital adjustments at the [...]
Those in debt to be given 60 days breathing space before enforcement action May 4, 2021 People in debt will be given 60 days to get their finances back on track without debts piling up, worrying letters or enforcement action, under a new government scheme. The scheme – called ‘Breathing Space’ – will give those in debt legal protections from their creditors for 60 days, with most interest and penalty charges [...]
