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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Luminance’s boss: Why building our own AI beats ‘rented intelligence’

Legal

Amid a surge of legal AI tech firms coming to market, concerns are emerging about ‘rented intelligence,’ with some companies criticised for simply putting their logos on technology developed by others. In contrast, Luminance insists it is focused on the bigger picture, betting its future on AI models it has built in-house. Speaking to City [...]
‘Streets ahead’ – London aims to wear the legal AI crown

Legal

New York may have the money, but London is trying to claim the ‘global capital of legal AI’ crown, writes Maria Ward-Brennan. In the midst of a brutal transatlantic talent war, where US firms are driving salaries through the roof and aggressively poaching top talent across the City, London has quietly secured a major strategic [...]
Consulting giants face up to AI-reckoning

Consulting

Shares in major consultancy firms have dropped sharply as investors fret over the impact of AI on the industry. Maria Ward-Brennan and Rosie Harris-Davison look at whether the threat is real. A bloodbath is unfolding across the professional services sector as artificial intelligence (AI) hammers the shares of global consulting giants like Accenture, IBM and [...]

Brexit 10 years on: Business does not want a referendum rerun, says CBI chief

June 23, 2026

British businesses are focused on the future and do not want a rerun of the Brexit referendum, the leader of the UK’s largest business lobby group has warned. Speaking to the FT, CBI director-general Rain Newton-Smith, on the tenth anniversary of the referendum, stated that despite the economic pain of leaving the EU, businesses don’t [...]
‘Landmark moment’ – AI law firm wins its first-ever court battle

June 22, 2026

In a global legal first, an AI-powered law firm that has regulatory approval has won its first court trial. Garfield AI, the world’s first AI law firm authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), has just been successful in a small claim for a freelancer to win against a hospitality business. The case [...]
Judge rejects Gatwick Airport bid to block new relaxed runway slot rules

June 19, 2026

A High Court judge has refused Gatwick’s request for an immediate emergency freeze to stop the new 70 per cent rule from starting today. The UK government temporarily reduced the “use it or lose it” slot usage requirement at major UK airports, including Gatwick Airport, from the standard 80 per cent to 70 per cent [...]
Professional services firms the ‘flavour of the month’ for cyberattacks

June 19, 2026

Professional services firms, particularly law firms, are the “current flavour of the month” for cyberattacks, driven by the valuable client information the sector guards. Speaking to City AM, Holly Waszak, head of cyber claims advocacy at Marsh, said: “We’re seeing insurers come to us with law firms on their books, and they are trying to [...]
Lloyd’s and Chubb unlock $400m to jumpstart Strait of Hormuz shipping

June 19, 2026

The world’s largest insurance marketplace is set to break the Strait of Hormuz logjam with a new $400m (£316m) war-risk facility. Lloyd’s of London has launched a new market consortium designed to provide additional marine war risk insurance capacity for vessels and cargo transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Insurer Chubb will serve as lead underwriter, [...]
LLPs remain under watchful eye – especially from the taxman

June 18, 2026

Despite dodging Budget day taxes, the UK’s limited liability partnership (LLP) model is still facing intense scrutiny, this time from HMRC, which just had a good result from the top court this week, writes Maria Ward-Brennan. The LLP model, used by professional services such as law firms and accountancy firms, came into force 25 years [...]
City law firms ‘sleepwalking into a crisis’ over AI overreliance

June 18, 2026

As legal tech valuations skyrocket, and AI dominates the airwaves, City law firms have been warned they are ‘sleepwalking into a crisis of judgment’ by treating AI as a definitive authority rather than a collaborative tool. A report by Positive Group, exclusively shared with City AM, stated that the legal sector faces a potential crisis [...]

Formula 1’s governing body wants more races in China and Asia

Formula 1’s governing body wants more races in China and Asia

Goodwood Festival of Speed 2026 Preview

By: Maria Ward-Brennan

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