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 1467 Articles

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 [...]
Courtrooms in the cloud: How Opus 2 quietly changed the game

February 26, 2026

AI is making its mark on the legal profession, an industry renowned for its cautious approach to change. Yet, behind the scenes, innovative technologies have been quietly transforming courtrooms for years. If you ever sat behind the row of barristers and the lawyers that instructed them in a courtroom at the High Court, you may [...]
Accountancy firms face margin squeeze as AI disrupts compliance services

February 25, 2026

Most UK accountancy firms admit margins on traditional compliance services are under pressure from automation, as professional services firms rethink strategies in the age of AI. According to a report shared exclusively with City AM by Ravical, while most British firms believe margins have increased over the last three years, the majority (63 per cent) [...]
Big Four consulting giants pivot to ‘high-growth verticals’ amid AI disruption

February 24, 2026

Following news of Deloitte’s latest expansion, experts predict a wave of restructuring and a “high-growth vertical” focus across the Big Four giants. On Monday, Deloitte revealed its plans to launch a Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) firm, aiming to build a regional powerhouse that keeps pace with rapid technological change. The new firm will [...]
Lord Mandelson arrested: What led to police action?

February 24, 2026

Peter Mandelson was arrested on Monday on suspicion of misconduct in public office, but how did we get here? The Metropolitan Police said in a statement on Monday evening that they had arrested a 72-year-old man in Camden. Mandelson was photographed being taken out of his house at 4:30 pm by detectives from the Met’s [...]

Family businesses still face inheritance tax cliff edge

Premier League + ‘could hurt fan acquisition if rolled out globally’

Ford Mustang Sutton CS800DH review: Taming a wild horse

By: Maria Ward-Brennan

All 1467 Articles

Subscribe