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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Hedge fund tycoon Alan Howard quits UK for Switzerland

December 23, 2025

The co-founder of Brevan Howard Asset Management, Alan Howard, is the latest wealthy individual to exit the UK following tax hikes imposed by the Labour government. The hedge fund tycoon relocated from Britain to Switzerland in early June, according to an analysis of UK registry filings by Bloomberg. Howard had previously moved from London to [...]
Decluttering after Christmas? Tax expert clarifies rules for selling unwanted gifts on eBay and Vinted

December 23, 2025

Not everyone is thrilled with their Christmas haul, after all, there are only so many novelty socks, scented candles, and mystery kitchen gadgets one household can handle before space starts to run out. Usually, as a result, apps like Vinted see a surge in activity around Christmas, with sellers hoping to offload unwanted gifts. [...]
UK home insurers brace for 2026 losses as premiums set to fall

December 23, 2025

British home insurers are set to finish 2025 in the black, but losses are expected in 2026. According to data exclusively shared with City AM by Deloitte, UK home insurers are set to make an underwriting profit in 2025, with a net combined ratio (NCR) of 98 per cent. For every £1 taken in premiums [...]
Property slump hits half of London as prime boroughs lead the decline

December 23, 2025

London has a “two-speed” market, as house prices are falling in about half of London’s boroughs, with the most expensive boroughs hit the hardest. The average house price in London for October was £547,000, down 2.4 per cent from the previous year, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The data also showed that [...]
The year in law: Scale, survival, and the surge of the transatlantic titans

December 23, 2025

From the birth of new transatlantic titans to a government-led rescue of the litigation funding market, 2025 has seen the City’s legal landscape rewritten by a relentless pursuit of scale and a newfound reliance on the machine. The legal sector started the year with US President Donald Trump attacking the industry, as Trump vs Big [...]
Accountancy body warns Finance Bill could criminalise honest mistakes

December 19, 2025

A body has expressed serious concerns that measures in the upcoming Finance Bill could pose an “existential threat” to professional firms and cause significant harm to compliant taxpayers. The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) pointed out several effects the Bill has on tax advisers, including introducing a criminal offence for promoting [...]
Hogan Lovells and Cadwalader join the transatlantic wave of mergers

December 19, 2025

London-based Hogan Lovells has announced its intention to merge with Wall Street’s oldest law firm, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, to create a nearly £2.7bn law firm, as the trend of mega-mergers continues in the market. The firm, which will be known as Hogan Lovells Cadwalader, is subject to customary closing conditions, including a vote by [...]
FCA probe and bonus clawbacks: WH Smith acts against former directors as North America profit plunges

December 19, 2025

WH Smith’s board will trigger clawback provisions for senior executives following accounting errors woes that had resulted in a probe by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). WH Smith chief executive Carl Cowling stepped down with immediate effect last month after the report, produced by Big Four audit firm Deloitte, identified weaknesses in the operations of [...]
Northern Line closures to impact midweek after-work drinks until May

December 18, 2025

The Transport for London (TfL) has planned closures of the Northern line starting from January, which will affect Bank, London Bridge, and Borough for four months. Starting on 12 January, eight stations will be out of action on weeknights from 10pm until the end of May, as TfL carries out engineering work for track replacements. [...]
Rugby league woes as Oldham RLFC faces winding-up by HMRC

December 17, 2025

Oldham RLFC, a club in rugby league’s Championship, was hit with formal legal action by the British tax authority this week, City AM can reveal. In the High Court system, HMRC filed a winding-up petition against Oldham Rugby League Football Club 1876 (Oldham RLFC) on Tuesday. A winding-up petition is a formal notice by a [...]

‘Very concerned’: City watchdog scolds motor finance lenders over £9bn redress scheme

Dallas, Boston, New York New Jersey: Inside England’s Fifa World Cup stadiums

Glengarry Glen Ross at the Old Vic fails to close

By: Maria Ward-Brennan

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