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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FTSE 100 Live: Economy grows 0.1 per cent; Rolls-Royce eyes profit jump

November 13, 2025

Good morning from the City AM liveblog team. The FTSE 100 is inching a step closer to the magic 10,000 mark after almost a year of outperforming counterparts across the Atlantic. London’s blue-chip index managed to rally to a 0.12 per cent gain in yesterday’s session closing at 9,911.42p. In the afternoon, it inched to a [...]
NHS woes fuel private healthcare boom, with lawyers reaping the rewards

November 13, 2025

Private healthcare in the UK is experiencing unprecedented growth as NHS waiting lists soar and public services struggle to keep up. This surge in demand is also fueling a flurry of legal activity, keeping lawyers busy. Deals lawyers in the UK are generally the busiest and most important practices for most law firms; however, with [...]
AI becomes UK businesses’ first line of defence amid regulatory uncertainty

November 12, 2025

AI has moved from an experiment to the primary ‘first line of defence’ for UK businesses facing regulatory scrutiny and operational uncertainty. According to new data from consultancy firm Elixirr, nearly half of UK businesses stated that all resilience-focused investment now flows to technology and AI. This comes as an overwhelming number of UK business [...]
Private equity could soon own a piece of major US law firm

November 12, 2025

US law firm McDermott Will & Schulte is reportedly exploring a complex restructuring to allow private equity firms to buy a stake in what could be a major move in the legal market. The proposed structure, as reported by the Financial Times, involves creating a managed service organisation (MSO), a separate entity in which outside [...]
Trade wars turn demand for global tax advisers in £50bn market

November 12, 2025

The global tax advisory growth rate for 2025 is expected to nearly double last year’s rate, driven largely by the policies of the US President Trump’s administration, including trade wars and tariffs. According to a new report by research-led advisory firm Source Global Research, the market value for tax advisory services is forecasted to reach [...]
Can Donald Trump really sue the BBC for $1bn?

November 11, 2025

US President Donald Trump’s threat to sue the BBC for $1bn over the misleading edit of a Panorama programme has thrown the Corporation into crisis. But it’s unclear if the US President’s threats have any legal substance. Trump made his legal threat after a BBC memo was leaked, revealing that its Panorama programme had spliced [...]
British insurers sound alarm over unprecedented rise in AI-driven scams

November 11, 2025

The insurance sector is struggling to combat the growing influx of AI-driven fake claims, as sophisticated fraud is challenging the sector’s outdated traditional system, putting increased pressure on insurers to adapt. According to a recent report by fintech firm Adyen, one in seven claims (15 per cent) were proven to be fraudulent, resulting in a [...]
Evelyn Partners sells employee benefits business to Howden

November 11, 2025

Insurance broker Howden has agreed to acquire the employee benefits consultancy arm of Evelyn Partners. The insurance intermediary group has agreed to acquire Evelyn Partners Financial Services (EPFS) for an undisclosed amount. Subject to regulatory approval, the deal is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2026. The acquisition is pitched to enhance [...]
Legal sector defies economic headwinds with rising headcount and profits

November 10, 2025

Despite ongoing pressure on salaries and increases in employment taxes, legal firms have reported an average headcount increase of nearly 4 per cent over the past year. According to the ‘law firm benchmarking report’ by professional service firm Crowe, the headcount growth was concentrated among fee earners, but nearly half of firms reported either no [...]
Reeves’ LLP tax proposal will undermine ‘cornerstone of UK economy’

November 10, 2025

A professional services trade body warned that Rachel Reeves’ proposed increase in NICs for LLPs could lead to widespread conversion to limited company structures, undermining a successful British business model. The limited liability partnership (LLP) model, in which members (known as partners) invest their own capital in the business, was introduced 25 years ago and [...]

Jousting, goblins and furries: Dispatch from a UK renaissance faire

The BBC’s bulletin cuts show how crowded sports broadcasting has become

Jousting, goblins and furries: Dispatch from a UK renaissance faire

By: Maria Ward-Brennan

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