By: Maria Ward-Brennan

Professional Services Editor Maria Ward-Brennan is the Professional Services Editor at City AM, focused on law, Big Four, and other management and accounting consulting firms. She was previously a litigation reporter at The Lawyer. Contact her via email at maria.ward-brennan@cityam.com or X (Twitter) @MariaW_B.

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Staff burnout soars in professional services due to inefficiencies and outdated IT

Prof Services

More than a quarter of client-facing staff at professional services firms are wasting a large portion of their working week on manual administrative tasks rather than core client work, according to new research by Unit4. The report, commissioned by Pierre Audoin Consultants (PAC), on global mid-to-large professional services firms, including those in the UK, revealed [...]
Number of private school pupils plummets after Labour’s VAT hike on fees

Education

Private school pupil numbers have plummeted by 30,000, down nearly 7 per cent in some year groups, since Labour introduced VAT on fees. As of 1 January 2025, private school fees in the UK, including tuition and boarding, are subject to 20 per cent VAT, a change announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in her 2024 [...]
Former Lloyd’s DEI leader left Beazley over non-financial misconduct allegations

Insurance

A former chief risk officer at cyber insurance giant Beazley left the FTSE 100 business following allegations of non-financial misconduct. City AM understands that Rob Anarfi, who had been at Beazley since 2012, left the FTSE 100 business early last year following allegations of non-financial misconduct. Anarfi was also chair of the Lloyd’s of London [...]

Patagonia faces PR backlash over trademark lawsuit with drag queen

June 2, 2026

Patagonia is in hot water over its legal action against a drag queen, but as lawyers suggest, businesses face a double-edged sword when it comes to protecting their trademarks. A drag queen artist and environmentalist, Wyn Wiley, was sued by the US outdoor retailer Patagonia, which alleged the performer violated its trademark by going professionally [...]
Jobs crisis: UK unemployment to hit highest level in a decade

June 2, 2026

Joblessness is set to hit its highest level in more than a decade as unemployment looks set to increase by 400,000 under the Labour government, according to a top business body. The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) warns of a softening labour market, driven by falling vacancies and economic uncertainty, with unemployment projected to rise [...]
Private equity-backed Ryan triumphs in bidding for European tax adviser Svalner Atlas

June 1, 2026

Private equity-based US accountancy firm Ryan has reportedly agreed to acquire European tax adviser Svalner Atlas Advisors in a deal reportedly worth $400m. Headquartered in Texas and with a presence in London, Ryan specialises in tax services and has BP and BAT among its clients. The firm was valued at about $7bn earlier this year, [...]
Deloitte and KPMG challenge PwC’s iron grip on FTSE 100 clients

June 1, 2026

For the first time in nearly eight years, three of the Big Four giants, Deloitte, KPMG and PwC, are locked in a dead heat for FTSE 100 client dominance. A boardroom reshuffle has loosened PwC’s iron grip on clients from London’s blue-chip index, forcing a historic three-way tie at the top of the FTSE 100 [...]
Business services staff face redundancies at City law firm

May 29, 2026

City-based law firm Clyde & Co has launched a restructuring consultation for its business service staff as part of its ongoing strategy to centralise support operations into regional hubs. The firm is proposing to move certain services currently performed by teams within legal support, purchase-to-pay, and IT to its service centres in Glasgow and its [...]
KPMG Australia boss resigns amid whistleblower scandal

May 29, 2026

The boss of KPMG Australia has resigned after the firm admitted to severely mishandling a whistleblower report on client confidentiality breaches. The scandal was prompted by a whistleblower who alleged that client documents were inappropriately shared with the senior leadership team, including the chief executive, which prompted an internal investigation. But the investigation did not [...]
Private equity boom slows down as the deal bar rises for City firms

May 29, 2026

Private equity interest in professional services remains, but the era of easy deals is over as most attractive targets have already been acquired, and investors are now more selective, writes Maria Ward-Brennan. The bubble around private equity interest in the professional services industry has started to deflate, as most of the “low-hanging fruit” has already [...]

Computacenter joins FTSE 100 in reshuffle as index builds tech exposure

Epsom Derby set for mega crowd as fans flock to The Hill

London Concours to celebrate rare Porsches and more next week

By: Maria Ward-Brennan

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