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 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 [...]
CVC-backed Teneo establishes New Zealand footprint via PwC deal

January 13, 2026

Advisory firm Teneo is to acquire PwC New Zealand’s business restructuring services unit as part of its Asia-Pacific expansion strategy. The deal, which is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close at the end of February 2026, will see 22 members of PwC New Zealand’s business restructuring services team join Teneo. This [...]
Immigration law firm put up for sale on insolvency market amid visa crackdown

January 13, 2026

A London law firm specialising in immigration services has been put up for sale on an insolvency marketplace in an early sign the government’s crackdown on visas has sparked a slump in applications. Woolwich-based A Vincent Solicitors, which employs more than two dozen staff and has a second office in Manchester, offered multi-lingual support services [...]
BCG warns the era of ‘wait and see’ is dead as global risks hit all-time high

January 12, 2026

As concerns over global policy uncertainty reached a 20-year peak in 2025, BCG is warning that the issue must be a core business capability, with dedicated teams. Business leaders cite trade reconfiguration, weakening multilateral institutions, and the weaponisation of economic tools as persistent threats to business continuity and competitiveness. However, a report by the IMD [...]
City businesses warned of disruptions from surge in protests

January 9, 2026

City based businesses are being warned to brace for a potential rise in damage or disruption next year, as the UK is predicted to see an increase in protest activity in 2026. A new analysis by Verisk Maplecroft suggests Europe will be among the regions most exposed to protest-related disruption in the coming 12 months, [...]
Ropes & Gray offers junior lawyers 20 per cent billable credit for AI effort

January 9, 2026

US law firm Ropes & Gray has expanded its programme to give junior lawyers 20 per cent of their billable hours to experiment with generative AI to its European offices, including in the City. The ‘TrAIlblazers’ programme was floated across the firm’s US offices last year, but it is now being implemented in Europe for [...]

UK government probes OpenAI breach after ‘unprecedented’ hack

Exclusive: Bordeaux Begles to compete in London rugby sevens tournament

Jeff Goldblum plays the cinematic hits at joyful Royal Albert Hall show

By: Maria Ward-Brennan

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