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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Ousted CEO and mounting debts: the lawyers behind £36bn BHP lawsuit

October 16, 2025

The law firm behind the most significant litigation to ever hit the English High Court has been lighting up headlines recently due to allegations around internal issues at the group. Back in 2018, in Liverpool, barrister Tom Goodhead and US lawyer Harris Pogust founded a law firm using an alternative business structure that focused on large-scale group [...]
Credit Suisse’s legal bid to recover Greensill losses from Softbank fails

October 15, 2025

Swiss lender Credit Suisse has failed in its attempt to recover $440m from Softbank following the collapse of financial firm Greensill Capital. Credit Suisse – now UBS – was hit hardest by Greensill’s collapse, owing to its significant exposure through various funding and investment vehicles. Greensill Capital, founded by Alexander (Lex) Greensill, went under in [...]
Richard Desmond’s group makes Rothschild allegation in £1.3bn National Lottery dispute

October 15, 2025

A high-stakes legal showdown has kicked off over the Gambling Commission’s handling of the fourth National Lottery licence, as the role of financial advisor Rothschild and its prior ties to the winning bidder take centre stage in court. Media baron Richard Desmond’s group Northern and Shell and its subsidiary, the New Lottery Company, launched legal [...]
EY accused of missing ‘red flag’ in NMC collapse

October 14, 2025

Big Four firm EY UK was accused of being “grossly negligent” and failing in its most fundamental audit duties over seven years, allowing a massive fraud to continue and ultimately causing NMC’s financial collapse. The mammoth £2.7bn legal battle between EY and its former clients, a London-listed health giant that collapsed after allegations of fraud, [...]
Leeds Reforms trigger wave of recruitment in legal banking

October 14, 2025

Job vacancies for banking lawyers are expected to soar, driven by the government’s Leeds Reforms which seek to unlock capital and overhaul the ring-fencing framework. Labour market analytics from Vacancysoft reveal that Britain’s legal sector is predicting significant growth in banking roles, both in private practice and in-house at major banks. The report projected a [...]
Mind the Split: London is the best city to be a divorce lawyer

October 14, 2025

London’s reputation as the divorce capital of the world looks set to grow after a recent court ruling paved the way for more foreign cases to be heard in the city. Litigation-focused law firm Stewarts has expanded its high-net-worth practice to meet rising demand for complex, high-value divorce work. High-profile, high-net-worth divorces collect media headlines [...]
Surge in cyber attacks expected to generate windfall for consultants

October 13, 2025

The recent surge in cyber attacks targeting major businesses and government entities is expected to drive an increase in spending on cybersecurity services from consulting firms. Cyber attacks have dominated the headlines this year, with recent incidents, such as the attacks on the Co-op and Jaguar Land Rover, resulting in substantial financial hits for the businesses. The [...]
Legal profession hits back at Robert Jenrick threat against ‘activist’ judges

October 13, 2025

Legal bodies representing over 250,000 lawyers have hit back against “politically motivated attacks” on the legal sector as “irresponsible and dangerous”, a week after the shadow justice secretary pledged to sack ‘activist’ judges. Last Tuesday, speaking at the Tory Conference, Robert Jenrick announced a sweeping crackdown on what he describes as “pro-migration bias” in the [...]
High Court showdown: Mercedes, Ford and Renault stand accused in Dieselgate trial

October 13, 2025

Car manufacturing giants, including Mercedes, Ford and Renault, are set to face a lengthy trial at the High Court over allegations they cheated emissions tests. Knicknamed Dieselgate, the largest group claim ever brought in the UK, is set to kick off at the court on Monday morning for a 10-week trial in front of Lady [...]
Parliament must ‘challenge’ Labour’s handling of China spy case

October 10, 2025

Parliament has to “challenge the government’s handling” of the collapsed case against two men accused of spying for China, a senior Tory has told City AM. Speaking to City AM, David Davis MP, stated the issue must go to Parliament, “given that the government has quite explicitly put commercial interest ahead of the security and integrity [...]

Starmer agrees investment deal with Japan as EU deal questioned

Adidas, Burberry and so much Beckham: The six best 2026 World Cup ad campaigns

The best places to eat sandwiches in Lisbon, from bifanas to pregos

By: Maria Ward-Brennan

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