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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Occupancy down at Unite Students, but demand surges at ‘elite’ universities

February 24, 2026

Unite Students saw a slide in occupancy across its portfolio, offset by resilient demand at top elite universities. The student accommodation developer reported a 9 per cent increase in adjusted earnings to £232.3m for 2025. However, its statutory profit fell by 78 per cent due to a decline in the valuation of the property portfolio. [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks take a dip amid tariff turmoil; Oil price soars

February 24, 2026

Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. The good old safety net of London’s blue-chip index strikes again. The week kicked off with more tariff drama after Saturday’s announcement from President Donald Trump of a sweeping 15 per cent levy across the US’ trading partners. As cool heads prevailed in government – [...]
Businesses continue to face legal uncertainty despite court ruling on tariffs

February 23, 2026

When the US Supreme Court handed down a landmark judgment against President Donald Trump’s tariffs last week the ruling sent shockwaves across the world, raising questions about what is next for businesses. On Friday, the Supreme Court, which has a 6-3 Conservative majority, struck down the tariffs, which could pose major financial consequences for the [...]
Big Four giant Deloitte forms $20bn EMEA unit amid tech disruption

February 23, 2026

Deloitte, one of the Big Four, plans to launch a Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) firm, aiming to build a regional powerhouse that keeps pace with rapid technological change. After a successful partner vote, Deloitte announced on Monday that the new EMEA firm will launch in June 2026. Deloitte EMEA will bring together 16 [...]
WFH requests could go to tribunal under Labour’s employment reforms

February 23, 2026

Lawyers are warning that Labour’s plans to make flexible working the default could place additional legal and administrative burdens on British businesses. Under the proposed changes employees would be able to appeal an employer’s decision to refuse a flexible working request more easily through the Employment Tribunal. Lawyers at TWM Solicitors explained that the employer’s [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks jittery after Trump tariffs; Job vacancies fall

February 23, 2026

Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Tariffs are once more redefining market sentiment. Last Friday, a number of FTSE 100 stocks popped on the news President Donald Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ levies had been struck down by the US Supreme Court. It marked a major boost to global markets after the top [...]
Meet the lawyers defending Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Peter Mandelson

February 20, 2026

The former Duke of York, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, has called on his trusty lawyer following his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in a public office on Thursday. Blackfords’ Gary Bloxsome and Jennifer Richardson, alongside Matrix Chambers’ Clare Montgomery KC, have been instructed by Andrew in relation to legal troubles. When the late Virginia Giuffre filed a [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Retail sales inch up; Segro ups dividend

February 20, 2026

Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. The FTSE 100 took a breather from its blistering record run on Thursday after a major stock tumble at British Gas owner Centrica led the index into the red. Centrica shed over five per cent after telling markets it would hit pause on its share [...]
British Gas owner shares tumble after buyback was paused

February 19, 2026

London-listed energy giant Centrica shares plunged nine per cent on Thursday morning after the group paused its share buyback programme in the face of a major earnings hit. The owners of British Gas reported lower 2025 earnings than in the previous year, but the group says it was resilient in a challenging market. The group’s [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Centrica profit falls; Stocks dip after record rally

February 19, 2026

Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. It’s been quite the week for the “old and unexciting” FTSE 100. The blue-chip index closed 1.2 per cent higher on Tuesday led by a rally in the mining sector. Antofagasta led the pack up over 10 per cent, which came a day after its [...]

Airtel Money listing shows London is still one of the best places to grow a company

Britain’s array of top-class live sport isn’t celebrated nearly enough

Inherit film review: Thai horror explores society’s Faustian pact

By: Maria Ward-Brennan

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