By: Maria Ward-Brennan

Senior Reporter Maria Ward-Brennan is a senior reporter focused on law and professional services. Contact her via email on maria.ward-brennan@cityam.com or X (Twitter) @MariaW_B

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Nick Ephgrave announces surprise retirement from Serious Fraud Office

Legal

Nick Ephgrave will step down as director of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) two and a half years before his first term was due to finish. The former assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police was appointed as the SFO’s director, taking over from Lisa Osofsky, who oversaw several errors during her tenure. Ephgrave was the [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Gold surges amid Trump tensions; JLR leads growth rebound

Markets

Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Rachel Reeves’ report card for 2025 has received another dim review with fresh figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showing growth came in at a sluggish 0.1 per cent in the three months to November 2025. This was led by a modest rebound [...]
Insurance giants are no longer afraid to sue competitors over ‘team poaching’

Legal

London’s insurance sector is becoming increasingly litigious as the battle for niche talent intensifies, after a wave of High Court cases suggests ‘team poaching’ has become a legal flashpoint. If, like me, you are glued to the court filing system you’ll have seen a noticeable uptick in lawsuits over restrictive covenants going to London’s High [...]

Top London five star hotel faces legal action from HMRC

January 15, 2026

One of London’s best-known five-star hotels is being taken to court by the UK’s tax authority over unpaid sums, City AM can reveal. Hotel Cafe Royal, a top-tier venue popular with the capital’s rich and famous, has been issued with a winding-up petition by HMRC, according to court filings seen by City AM. A winding-up petition [...]
Game, set, appeal: Wimbledon’s £200m expansion hits the court

January 14, 2026

The battle over Wimbledon’s £200m expansion has reached match point: while tournament chiefs aim for a net gain of 39 new courts, a campaign group is fighting back by dragging the planning decision to the Court of Appeal. The All England Lawn Tennis Ground plans to build 39 new tennis courts and an 8,000-seat stadium [...]
Baker Tilly hits record $6.8bn revenue following surge in tax advice

January 14, 2026

Baker Tilly International has reported a landmark year, with 2025 revenues surging 21 per cent to $6.8bn (£5.05bn), but it was its tax division that stood out. Over 2025, North America was the fastest-growing region at 37.5 per cent, underpinned by the Baker Tilly (US) and Moss Adams merger in June 2025, followed by EMEA [...]
FRC chief urges audit reform before next corporate scandal

January 13, 2026

The boss of the accountancy regulator has issued a direct warning to the government, urging them to pass audit reform legislation during “peacetime” rather than waiting for a major corporate collapse or scandal. Speaking on the latest episode of the Following the Rules podcast, Financial Reporting Council (FRC) CEO Richard Moriarty, said: “Given the thinking that’s gone [...]
CVC-backed Teneo establishes New Zealand footprint via PwC deal

January 13, 2026

Advisory firm Teneo is to acquire PwC New Zealand’s business restructuring services unit as part of its Asia-Pacific expansion strategy. The deal, which is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close at the end of February 2026, will see 22 members of PwC New Zealand’s business restructuring services team join Teneo. This [...]
Immigration law firm put up for sale on insolvency market amid visa crackdown

January 13, 2026

A London law firm specialising in immigration services has been put up for sale on an insolvency marketplace in an early sign the government’s crackdown on visas has sparked a slump in applications. Woolwich-based A Vincent Solicitors, which employs more than two dozen staff and has a second office in Manchester, offered multi-lingual support services [...]
BCG warns the era of ‘wait and see’ is dead as global risks hit all-time high

January 12, 2026

As concerns over global policy uncertainty reached a 20-year peak in 2025, BCG is warning that the issue must be a core business capability, with dedicated teams. Business leaders cite trade reconfiguration, weakening multilateral institutions, and the weaponisation of economic tools as persistent threats to business continuity and competitiveness. However, a report by the IMD [...]

Liz Kendall welcomes X’s Grok changes as Ofcom probe continues

Magic of the FA Cup has resisted tinkering and is only getting stronger

Paranormal Activity brings thrills and scares to London stage

By: Maria Ward-Brennan

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