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 edits the Beyond The Billable newsletter and column. She was previously a litigation reporter at The Lawyer. Contact her via email at maria.ward-brennan@cityam.com or on X @MariaW_B.

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City law firm boosts junior lawyer salaries to £189k in London

June 5, 2026

City-based law firm Quinn Emanuel has increased salaries for its most junior lawyers by 5 per cent for the 2026 financial year, as its London office aligns with pay increases at its US counterparts. Effective from 1 July 2026, London associates’ salaries will increase 5 per cent across the board, with newly-qualified (NQ) lawyers set [...]
KPMG scraps summer early Friday finish for staff

June 5, 2026

Big Four giant KPMG is revoking its Covid-19 employee benefit of letting staff clock off early on Fridays over the summer in the latest cut at the firm. The firm introduced the policy in 2021, focused on the summer, which is a quieter time in the City, to allow staff to take two and a [...]
Lex Greensill banned as company director for nine years after multi-billion-pound collapse

June 4, 2026

The UK Insolvency Service has confirmed that financier Lex Greensill will face a nine-year ban from serving as a company director, after he signed a legally binding disqualification undertaking to resolve long-running enforcement proceedings just days before a scheduled High Court trial. The Insolvency Service, which opened its probe into him in 2022, filed a [...]
Mishcon de Reya to roll out new ‘bonus boost’ for associates

June 4, 2026

City law firm Mishcon de Reya is offering its staff a ‘bonus boost’ for working additional hours to remain competitive in the legal pay race, City AM understands. The law firm has added a new ‘bonus boost’ to its pay structure, which will take effect in July 2027, for lawyers who record hours significantly above [...]
Millions left unclaimed as public awareness gap exposes flaws in class actions

June 4, 2026

While class actions are on the rise, limited public awareness means millions in settlement funds go unclaimed, highlighting the scepticism over who truly benefits from these legal actions, writes Maria Ward-Brennan. Despite the surge in class actions in the London High Court over the last number of years, there remains a large knowledge gap among [...]
Staff burnout soars in professional services due to inefficiencies and outdated IT

June 3, 2026

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

June 3, 2026

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

June 2, 2026

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 [...]

PureGym bulks up with £235m Swiss expansion

Football regulator’s reputation rests on its handling of Manchester City

The Cherry Orchard – Harold Pinter Theatre: Kristin Scott Thomas is luminous

By: Maria Ward-Brennan

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