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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FTSE 100 Live: Gold soars as Trump’s tariffs threaten trade war

January 19, 2026

Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. It might be a new year but it’s the same issues controlling the global markets. The FTSE 100 closed last week one per cent higher than it started at 10,235.29p. But this came around 24 hours prior to President Donald Trump’s fresh tariff attack on [...]
AI-enhanced deception: The audit industry’s next big test

January 19, 2026

The audit industry has been under the microscope over the past few years following a number of high-profile corporate collapses, prompting stricter measures to restore public trust. And with the rise of AI-driven fraud, auditors will be under more pressure than ever to adapt to an evolving risk environment. The Financial Reporting Council (FRC), the [...]
Tough year ahead as businesses face compliance and investigation storm

January 17, 2026

A wave of complex regulations and cross-border probes is set to test the resilience of businesses worldwide in the coming year; at the same time, resource constraints expose vulnerabilities. A staggering 82 per cent of global businesses fear being hit by cross-border or multi-agency investigations this year, according to a new report by law firm [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks fall as oil takes hit; YouTube, BBC strike deal

January 16, 2026

Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. How big of a win was yesterday for Rachel Reeves? The economy grew 0.3 per cent in November – faster than expected – as Jaguar Land Rover roared back to life following a costly cyberattack that halted supply chains across the UK. But while this [...]
Nick Ephgrave announces surprise retirement from Serious Fraud Office

January 15, 2026

Nick Ephgrave will step down as director of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) two and a half years before his first term was due to finish. The former assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police was appointed as the SFO’s director, taking over from Lisa Osofsky, who oversaw several errors during her tenure. Ephgrave was the [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Gold surges amid Trump tensions; JLR leads growth rebound

January 15, 2026

Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Rachel Reeves’ report card for 2025 has received another dim review with fresh figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showing growth came in at a sluggish 0.1 per cent in the three months to November 2025. This was led by a modest rebound [...]
Insurance giants are no longer afraid to sue competitors over ‘team poaching’

January 15, 2026

London’s insurance sector is becoming increasingly litigious as the battle for niche talent intensifies, after a wave of High Court cases suggests ‘team poaching’ has become a legal flashpoint. If, like me, you are glued to the court filing system, you’ll have seen a noticeable uptick in lawsuits over restrictive covenants going to London’s High [...]
Game, set, appeal: Wimbledon’s £200m expansion hits the court

January 14, 2026

The battle over Wimbledon’s £200m expansion has reached match point: while tournament chiefs aim for a net gain of 39 new courts, a campaign group is fighting back by dragging the planning decision to the Court of Appeal. The All England Lawn Tennis Ground plans to build 39 new tennis courts and an 8,000-seat stadium [...]
Baker Tilly hits record $6.8bn revenue following surge in tax advice

January 14, 2026

Baker Tilly International has reported a landmark year, with 2025 revenues surging 21 per cent to $6.8bn (£5.05bn), but it was its tax division that stood out. Over 2025, North America was the fastest-growing region at 37.5 per cent, underpinned by the Baker Tilly (US) and Moss Adams merger in June 2025, followed by EMEA [...]
FRC chief urges audit reform before next corporate scandal

January 13, 2026

The boss of the accountancy regulator has issued a direct warning to the government, urging them to pass audit reform legislation during “peacetime” rather than waiting for a major corporate collapse or scandal. Speaking on the latest episode of the Following the Rules podcast, Financial Reporting Council (FRC) CEO Richard Moriarty, said: “Given the thinking that’s gone [...]

London local election results LIVE: Brown returns as Labour bruised in five-party split

Promotion to Champ could be worth millions as Blackheath fight to go up

Polestar 3: Swedish electric SUV delivers premium performance

By: Maria Ward-Brennan

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