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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UK businesses accelerate layoffs amid AI surge and legislative uncertainty

November 6, 2025

The number of proposed mass dismissal programmes in the UK has risen by five per cent in the last year, driven by the ongoing Employment Rights Bill and the increasing adoption of AI. The number of proposed mass dismissal programmes rose to 3,715 in 2024/25, up from 3,546 in the previous year, according to data [...]
BDO fined £6.5m after regulator slams it for faking audit evidence

November 6, 2025

Business advisory giant BDO has been slapped with a £6.5m fine after two of its former audit engagement partners made admissions of misconduct. The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) launched an investigation after receiving formal complaints about the dishonest conduct of a BDO senior manager between 2015 and 2019, including the creation of false audit evidence, [...]
Lawyers lead charge on AI oversight as government drags on regulations

November 6, 2025

As AI systems are deployed worldwide, the question of who is responsible when they cause harm, failure, or unexpected consequences is quickly becoming a major headache for businesses. With a lack of regulation, the problem is passed to the courts, keeping litigation partners busy. There are multi-billions on the line for technology investment, especially in [...]
High Court rejects Square Mile Tom James’ legal case against former employee

November 5, 2025

The High Court has dismissed a lawsuit to enforce restrictive covenants and confidentiality obligations against a former employee of giant Tom James in the Square Mile. Tom James is the world’s largest manufacturer and retailer of customised clothing, and in the City, where some suits are priced at around £2,500, it tailors to working professionals. [...]
UK and Irish BDO firms set sights on ‘landmark’ mid-market merger

November 5, 2025

The UK arm of accountancy and business advisory giant BDO is in merger talks with its Irish counterpart, highlighting a clear ambition for growth. The potential merger would be a landmark moment for both businesses. It would create one of the biggest accountancy firms in Europe, focusing on the entrepreneurial, growing, and ambitious mid-market heartland. [...]
Ex-CEO faces trial for allegedly urging MPs to block Chinese-backed acquisition

November 5, 2025

The High Court is set to hear a case over an allegation against a former interim CEO of an aerospace firm who is accused of secretly lobbying MPs and the UK government to sabotage a Chinese-backed deal. The case follows a national security review by the UK government into a deal that could have led [...]
Lawyers warn Reeves: Don’t destroy £60bn industry over LLPs gambit

November 4, 2025

The legal industry has slammed Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ proposed tax hike on LLPs, saying the move “could harm one of the UK’s most globally competitive sectors.” As she aims to fill the fiscal black hole, Reeves is reportedly targeting limited liability partnerships (LLPs) for a tax raid for the first time. The LLP model, used [...]
Court rejects Getty Images’ core claim in historic case against AI image generator

November 4, 2025

The High Court dismissed Getty Images’ core intellectual property claims against an AI image generator, but also granted it limited historic success in a landmark UK lawsuit. US giant Getty Images sued UK-based AI image generator Stability AI, alleging it unlawfully copied and processed millions of copyrighted images to train its image generation technology. The [...]
Exclusive: Tory peer Lord Garnier joins Pillsbury amid London expansion

November 4, 2025

Tory peer Lord Edward Garnier is joining US law firm Pillsbury as senior counsel, as it continues its expansion into the City, City AM can reveal. Lord Garnier KC, currently a member of the House of Lords, served as Solicitor General under David Cameron. He was MP for Harborough from 1992 to 2017. The barrister, [...]
Minimum wage hike puts pressure on professional starting salaries

November 3, 2025

With Rachel Reeves poised to raise the minimum wage in her Autumn Budget, mid-tier professional services firms are bracing for significant impacts across the sector. As reported last week, the Budget will likely see employers forced to raise workers’ wages from £12.21 to at least £12.70 an hour. However, for businesses, especially those in the [...]

Abolish stamp duty on shares to reverse London’s IPO slump, say top fintechs

All Hundred owners expected to explore bids for Big Bash cricket franchises

Are Peugeot’s 208, 2008 and 3008 good enough for the city?

By: Maria Ward-Brennan

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