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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PwC consulting overhaul reveals AI reckoning for the Big Four

April 16, 2026

The influx of AI is putting the Big Four’s structures under strain, and cracks are beginning to appear in their consultancy divisions, argues senior reporter Maria Ward-Brennan. The industry is facing a storm of problems, including over-recruitment during the pandemic, low staff attrition rates due to economic issues, and a drop in fees as the [...]
Regulator struggles to tackle harassment and bullying at City law firms

April 16, 2026

It won’t come as a shock to you that City law firms have long struggled with cultures of bullying and harassment, and the regulator is kept out of the loop, argues senior reporter Maria Ward-Brennan. The high-pressure demands placed on lawyers at City law firms have long bred cultures of bullying and harassment. In a [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks jittery as Trump eyes Iran ‘grand bargain’; Reeves to meet Bessent

April 15, 2026

Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Hopes of peace talks in the Middle East were back on the table this morning, though markets weren’t holding there breathe after weeks of bait-and-switches. Donald Trump described the war with Iran as “close to over” during an interview with Fox news. “I think it’s [...]
PwC moves to unify global services as AI reshapes consulting sector

April 14, 2026

Big Four firm PwC is drawing up a blueprint to standardise its consultancy services across its global business, as the sector faces mounting pressure from the rapid rise of AI. As businesses continue to invest in AI, the cracks in what this will mean for broader businesses are starting to show, with layoffs being blamed [...]
New EU entry system hits Brits — But what are your rights?

April 14, 2026

Days into the European Union’s new Entry/Exit System (EES), British passengers are facing severe delays, resulting in missed flights, but with the Summer season around the corner, warnings that trying to pass the border may become more costly. The new EES obliges non-European Union nationals, including Britons, who enter the Schengen free travel zone to [...]
‘Cure worse than the disease’: Starmer’s mentor lambasts plan to scrap juries

April 14, 2026

The proposal to scrap jury trials is “a cure worse than the disease”, according to the founding head of the Chambers where Sir Keir Starmer once practised. David Lammy’s controversial Courts and Tribunals Bill aims to reduce Crown Court backlogs by approximately halving the number of jury trials. The Bill, if passed, will create a [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks uneven as Trump’s Strait of Hormuz blockade begins

April 14, 2026

Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Markets were rocked yesterday by the US’ blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, adding a new layer of tensions to the weeks-long conflict in the Middle East. Vice-President JD Vance has accused the Iranian government of engaging in an “act of economic terrorism” through its [...]
MHA chief: Private equity rivals are struggling — ‘we’re really well positioned’

April 14, 2026

Wednesday marks one year since the UK and Ireland’s arm of Baker Tilly International, MHA, rang the bell at the London Stock Exchange. The advisory group didn’t pick an ideal time to list. Though it seems like a lifetime ago, the markets were also riddled with uncertainty. Weeks before MHA went public, Trump had his [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks tumble amid Trump’s Strait of Hormuz blockade

April 13, 2026

Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Markets are returning from the weekend to a major blow in hopes of a ceasefire in the Middle East. After Donald Trump revealed his two-week reprieve on strikes whilst negotiations begin, those very talks now look to be hanging by a thread. Vice President JD [...]
Crispin Odey drops £79m libel case against Financial Times

April 10, 2026

Former hedge fund tycoon Crispin Odey dropped his libel claim against the Financial Times, ending a high-stakes legal battle over the publication’s reporting of sexual misconduct allegations. The Financial Times published several articles about the City financier in 2023 regarding allegations over his sexual conduct, following allegations from 20 women spanning five decades. Odey has [...]

FTSE 100 Live: Stocks to edge up; oil falls as Trump says new Iran strikes ‘highly unlikely’

Women’s football doesn’t need to become men’s football to succeed

The Capitalist: City AM reporter gets royal trashing by AI slop

By: Maria Ward-Brennan

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