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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‘Like Brands. Only Cheaper’: Court throws out Aldi’s appeal over gin bottle battle with Marks and Spencer

February 27, 2024

Aldi's appeal against a decision that it had infringed on Marks and Spencer's registered design of its light-up gin was dismissed earlier today.
Court of Appeal: Legal regulator to face human rights solicitor over prison sentence

February 27, 2024

In a long-running legal fight, the legal regulator is set to face a former human rights lawyer for an appeal on her second prison sentence.
Audit fees for London-listed firms skyrocketed by 75 per cent since 2017

February 26, 2024

Over the last five years there has been a significant increase in the fees paid by London-listed companies to auditing firms, due to the increase in both financial reporting requirements and auditing standards. According to a report by the Quoted Companies Alliance, its sample of 220 listed companies across the main market, AIM and Aquis, [...]
Aercap collected £1bn in legal settlements over stranded Russian planes

February 26, 2024

US-Irish aviation leasing giant Aercap has revealed that it has recovered just under $1.3bn (£1.02bn) in insurance settlements
Gig economy: Law firm launches probe for Parcelforce drivers in latest workers’ rights row

February 26, 2024

Law firm Leigh Day has launched an investigation on behalf of Parcelforce drivers to establish if they have been misclassified as self-employed independent contractors rather than workers. The probe was launched in order to consider if the drivers have a potential group claim on their hands as they could be missing out on holiday pay and the [...]
Russian tycoon’s ‘anti-anti-suit injunction’ succeeds as Transneft to face $14bn English claim

February 26, 2024

The English High Court has ordered Russian state-owned oil pipeline company Transneft to adjourn its legal proceedings in a Moscow court. The oil company is facing a $14bn lawsuit in London after Russian tycoon Ziyavudin Magomedov launched the case last year against the oil company, DP World and Russian state-owned agencies. Magomedov launched the legal [...]
Begbies Traynor agrees new £25m debt facility with HSBC

February 26, 2024

Professional services restructuring specialist Begbies Traynor agreed to a new debt facility with HSBC, which replaces its existing facility with the same bank. The group’s existing facility was due to mature in August 2025 after it was secured in 2016. The new debt facility with HSBC sees £25m committed to an unsecured revolving credit facility, [...]
Hiring market: Insurance sector outperforms financial services in 2023

February 26, 2024

Job vacancies in the insurance sector fell less than those in the financial services market last year. According to a City A.M.’s exclusive of a report by specialist recruiters Harrison Holgate and market data analytics firm Vacancysoft, vacancies in insurance dropped by 15.1 per cent compared to the fall of 30 per cent for the [...]
Banking APPG calls to create financial services tribunal after scandals ‘eroded public trust’

February 24, 2024

The all-party parliamentary group for fair business banking (APPG) has recommended a creation of a financial services tribunal after a series of high-profile scandals “eroded public trust”. The cross-party group outlined its recommendation on building a framework for compensation and redress in a new report, which stated that the existing landscape of institutional mechanisms for [...]
Largest law firm DLA Piper elects new managing partner to take over in 2025

February 23, 2024

DLA Piper has elected a new managing partner as its current boss and global co-CEO Simon Levine is set to step away after nearly ten years in the role.

Tottenham Hotspur owed money after Big Zuu water brand Drip is liquidated with £9m debts

Tottenham Hotspur owed money after Big Zuu water brand Drip is liquidated with £9m debts

Artificial writer admits AI industry workers helped shape OpenAI film

By: Maria Ward-Brennan

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