City law firms risk losing talent unless they reduce swelling workloads, research shows January 15, 2023 British law firms could struggle to retain talent if they do not ease workloads that are pushing burnout rates higher, new research reveals. Nearly two in three of UK legal professionals have experienced burnout as a result of their work despite the sector stepping mental health support, a new survey out earlier this week of [...]
Direct Line chief rushes to calm investors after shares collapse January 15, 2023 Direct Line’s share price “doesn’t reflect the intrinsic value of the company,” the insurer’s chief executive Penny James has said, after shares in the firm plummeted last week. In an interview with The Times, James instead said Direct Line still has “huge earnings potential” as she said she feels “very positive about the future prospects”. [...]
Recession to end City’s legal sector pay war, recruiters warn January 15, 2023 A drop in legal sector revenues is likely see the end of the pay war that has played out between the City’s top law firms over the past two years, legal sector recruiters have said. Falling revenues off the back of a slowdown in new business will likely see lawyers’ salaries plateau or even go [...]
PPI scandal: Supreme Court case could ‘open door’ for hundreds-of-thousands of new claims for UK banks January 12, 2023 British banks could face a new wave of payment protection insurance (PPI) claims following a hearing at the UK’s Supreme Court. The Supreme Court will decide whether to expand the reach of a six-year time limit to let thousands more PPI claims be heard in UK courts. PPI policies cover the costs of debt repayments [...]
Persimmon warns of sales slide as interest rate rises push up the cost of mortgages January 12, 2023 Persimmon achieved sales at the top end of its 2022 guidance, despite the mortgage crisis and the wider economic downturn in the second half of the year. The York headquartered company, one of the UK’s largest housebuilders, sold 14,868 new homes last year a rise of two per cent compared to 14,551 in 2021. The [...]
The Gym Group: Brits ditch the pennies and the £s as more fitness fanatics seek cheaper gym membership January 12, 2023 The Gym Group today said it has continued to win over customers in the face of the UK’s cost-of-living crisis as Brits flocked to the low-cost gym in seeking out better “value for money”. The low-cost gym owner said it had increased its membership numbers by 14.3 per cent over the past year, to 821,000, [...]
Bain & Co snaps up London tech consultancy Enterprise Blueprints January 12, 2023 Bain & Co has acquired London consultancy Enterprise Blueprints as pushes forwards with efforts to bolster its tech advice offerings, City A.M. can exclusively reveal. The Boston consultancy’s deal for an undisclosed sum comes as the world’s top professional firms have sought to profit on the global push to digitalise the economy by selling advice [...]
Global cost-of-living crisis risks ‘dire consequences’ for planet as firms ditch climate concerns January 11, 2023 The global cost-of-living crisis threatens to railroad efforts to combat climate change, “potentially leading to dire planetary and societal consequences,” the World Economic Forum (WEF) warned today. Soaring energy and food prices are forcing governments and private businesses to turn to cheaper, often dirtier resources to produce goods and services. As a result, “the risks [...]
FCA to expand guidance for insurers on protecting cash-strapped customers January 11, 2023 The City watchdog has vowed to update guidance for insurers on protecting customers amid the UK’s cost-of-living crisis. The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) today set out plans to expand guidance, which was first introduced during the pandemic, to ensure all struggling customers are protected. Under the FCA’s proposed new guidance, insurers will be [...]
Direct Line shares plummet after insurer scraps 2022 dividend January 11, 2023 Shares in Direct Line plummeted today after the insurer said it expects to scrap its 2022 dividend due to facing a “challenging and volatile operating environment in the fourth quarter”. The insurance company said its board “no longer expects to declare a final dividend for 2022” due to it facing a series of challenges related [...]
