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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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 [...]
BDO culls senior partners to clear path for younger staff

April 9, 2026

Leading mid-tier advisory firm BDO is set to cut around 6 per cent of its total partner headcount, targeting older partners. The firm is set to axe 31 partners, mainly older staff who were expected to retire soon, or hires from rivals, as it seeks to open space for younger staff, according to the Financial [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks take a dip as Trump’s ceasefire in doubt

April 9, 2026

Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Hopes for peace in the Middle East are on thin ice with the ceasefire unveiled on Wednesday morning already seemingly in tatters. According to Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s parliament speaker, the US and Israel have already “violated” Iran’s 10-point ceasefire proposal in three ways. And [...]
Football clubs are starting to build out their legal benches

April 9, 2026

As they say, if you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life. With the popularity of sports ever-growing, it is no surprise that lawyers are flooding into legal work involving sports. Even the driest M&A deal can be a little more exciting when it involves deals for your favourite [...]
‘Significant backlog’ for Tribunal cases as new workers’ rights come into law

April 8, 2026

Concerns have been raised about the “ongoing and significant” backlog at the Employment Tribunal as new worker rights come into play this week. The Law Society, while welcoming the launch of the Fair Work Agency (FWA), raised concerns that the new agency will be equipped to tackle the case backlog. Between Monday and Tuesday, a [...]
Son of world’s richest banker challenged US law firm over $35m legal bill

April 8, 2026

Alberto Safra survived a bitter fight over his father’s $23bn fortune. Then the legal bill arrived, all $35m (£26m) of it. Safra, son of Brazilian billionaire Joseph Safra, now deceased, was billed over $35m for less than two years of work over a ‘bitter multibillion-dollar estate feud’ and one of the largest inheritance battles in [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Blue-chip stocks boom on Trump and Iran ceasefire

April 8, 2026

Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Markets are in line for a major boom this morning after Donald Trump confirmed a two-week ceasefire with Iran shortly ahead of his latest bomb threat deadline. Trump announced the two-week postponement by stating the US and Iran were “very far along” with a “definitive” [...]
Jet fuel crisis sparks rush for travel insurance as airlines warn of Summer cancellations

April 7, 2026

Interest in travel insurance has spiked over the last month after airline bosses warned of cancelled flights amid shortages of jet fuel due to the ongoing energy crisis. Thousands of flights have been cancelled, and more cuts are planned, as global airlines struggle with surging fuel costs and supply issues caused by the war in [...]
As the Big Four cut back on staff BDO is building its own pipeline – from school

April 7, 2026

As the accountancy sector faces a “perception problem” among younger talent, advisory giant BDO is moving the goalposts by engaging school-level students. Speaking to City AM, Louise Sayers, audit partner and head of audit, people and culture at BDO, explained that when it comes to attracting new talent, the sector does not have an image problem [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks dip ahead of Trump’s Iran deadline

April 7, 2026

Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. The London market is set to return from the bank holiday break with a major hangover. Whilst the City enjoyed an Easter break, volatile trading continued with Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil – hovering around the $110 mark after see-sawing between gains [...]

Consultancy’s multi-billion-dollar AI gamble, but where is the real return?

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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