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

All 1551 Articles

Labour MP’s partner among three arrested in China spy probe

March 4, 2026

Three men, including a partner of a Labour MP, have been arrested on suspicion of spying for China. The Metropolitan Police revealed on Wednesday that the men, aged 39, 43 and 68, were arrested in London and Wales as part of a counter-terrorism policing investigation under the National Security Act. One of those arrested, David [...]
Profit slides as Beazley eyes Bermuda amid Zurich £8bn takeover

March 4, 2026

One of the UK’s biggest listed insurance firms suffered a slide in profit as the company prepares to be acquired by Swiss giant Zurich. FTSE 100 insurer Beazley posted pre-tax profit of $1.14bn (£870m) for the year to end December 2025, a fall of around a fifth compared to the previous year amid a softening [...]
Trump demands US-backed insurance as firms suspend cover in Persian Gulf

March 4, 2026

Donald Trump calls for a US-backed insurance following news that most of the world’s largest maritime insurance firms are set to cease covering war risks for ships entering the Persian Gulf. On 5 March, various members of the London-based International Group of Protection and Indemnity Clubs will automatically terminate war-risk cover if vessels enter the [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks inch back up; UK faces energy bills warning

March 4, 2026

Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Yesterday, Rachel Reeves delivered her Spring Statement. The Chancellor wheeled out new forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility that cut growth for 2026 but – albeit modestly – upgraded it for the years to come. But forecasts were quickly labelled out of date by [...]
Accountancy firms lag behind legal firms in gender equality at top level

March 3, 2026

The UK accountancy sector is lagging in diversifying its leadership, with only half of firms having at least one woman at the board or partnership level. According to data exclusively shared with City AM by Lubbock Fine, UK accountancy firms are lagging behind legal firms in the proportion of women at the senior level. The [...]
Zurich to leverage Beazley’s Lloyd’s platform for global expansion

March 2, 2026

Zurich Insurance Group has reached a formal agreement to acquire FTSE 100 giant Beazley, aiming to create a global leader in speciality insurance. Under the terms of the deal, Beazley shareholders will be entitled to receive a total of 1,335p per Beazley share, which puts the cost of the deal at around $10.9bn (£8.14bn). The [...]
Lawyers raise red flags over Labour’s non-compete shake-up

March 2, 2026

The future of non-compete clauses in the UK is at a crossroads, with the government considering major reforms, but lawyers warn that this could lead to unintended consequences for both businesses and workers. Non-compete clauses in the UK restrict employees from joining competitors post-employment, but are enforceable only if reasonable in scope, duration, and geography to [...]
Global trade at risk as insurers suspend cover following Iran conflict

March 2, 2026

More than half of the world’s largest maritime insurance firms are set to cease covering war risks for ships entering the Persian Gulf after conflict broke out in the Gulf region, following the US and Israel’s launch of strikes on Iran on Saturday. As of Thursday, seven members of the City-based International Group of Protection [...]
Legal battle over Labour’s inheritance tax reliefs set for March hearing

February 27, 2026

The legal challenge to proposed changes to agricultural property relief (APR) and business property relief (BPR) has been listed for an urgent two-day hearing next month. The proposed changes to APR and the BPR represent one of the biggest shifts in UK IHT policy in decades, following the government’s initial increase of the threshold to [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Pound hits two month low after byelection, Flutter shares tumble

February 27, 2026

Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. We were treated to a whole host of corporate updates yesterday and investors in some of the City’s biggest blue-chips were handed plans for bumper returns. Aerospace giant Rolls-Royce revealed ambitions to dish out up to £9bn to shareholders through from 2026 to 2028. The [...]

Jet fuel shortage looms as government scrambles to secure supplies

Newcastle United’s Saudi owners in town for stadium discussions

The City pub boasting taxidermy boar, deer and squirrel

By: Maria Ward-Brennan

All 1551 Articles

Subscribe