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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‘You can blame us’: The firm that sparked accountancy private equity gold rush

July 29, 2026

Blick Rothenberg’s chief executive, Nimesh Shah, told City AM the firm ‘killed’ the traditional partnership model a decade ago, and now stands as the blueprint that every mid-tier accountancy competitor is trying to emulate. City-based Blick Rothenberg is widely recognised as the first major UK accountancy firm to receive private equity backing, after HgCapital invested [...]
Nobel Peace Prize maker’s UK arm seeks administrator

July 28, 2026

The London Mint Office, one of the largest numismatic distributors, is lining up administrators after 20 years in business. Founded in 2006, the company is part of Europe’s largest coin company, the Samlerhuset Group, based in the Netherlands. The UK entity acts as a major retailer for collectors, including specially minted items celebrating British royalty [...]
Big Four’s AIM exodus accelerates as mid-tier firms seize mandates

July 27, 2026

Mid-tier audit firms scooped up new clients as the Big Four giants executed an intentional retreat from London’s junior market. Three years ago, PwC, Deloitte, EY, and KPMG audited nearly half of the FTSE Alternative Investment Market (AIM) 100 index with 49 clients combined. But today, the market share has collapsed to 30 clients, according [...]
Mishcon de Reya hikes junior lawyer salaries to £110,000

July 23, 2026

Top City law firm Mishcon de Reya has upped its salaries to £110,000 for its incoming cohort of junior lawyers as the pay war continues to intensify. The firm, known for its high-profile disputes, has upped its newly-qualified salaries by 10 per cent, effective from September, while also increasing the salaries of first-year trainees to [...]
City law firms considering corporate-style models amid capital crunch

July 23, 2026

Artificial intelligence investment may force top City firms to abandon the traditional limited liability partnership (LLP) mindset and behave like capital‑hungry corporates, a top legal finance firm has predicted. Speaking to City AM, Burford Capital’s chief operating officer, Travis Lenkner, and vice president, Patrick Savage, said City law firms that would never traditionally sell a controlling [...]
Former Southern Water boss charged with conspiracy to defraud

July 22, 2026

The former boss of Southern Water is among four of the water firm’s ex-employees set to face criminal proceedings for conspiracy to defraud. The Environment Agency (EA) alleges that between January 2012 and December 2017 Matthew Wright helped manipulate the operator self-monitoring testing regime by implementing “artificial no-flow events” at wastewater treatment works. The government [...]
Former Lloyd’s chief John Neal breached rules with undisclosed relationship

July 22, 2026

Former Lloyd’s of London chief executive John Neal fell “significantly below” expected standards in his workplace relationship with a colleague, an independent legal review by Freshfields has found. Neal had run the historic London insurance marketplace for over six years when he stepped down last year. He was in line to become president of general [...]
Layoffs and an executive exit: What’s going on at London’s first listed law firm?

July 22, 2026

Gateley, the City’s first listed law firm, is set to lose its chief executive and axe dozens of jobs as it grapples with a swelling cost base and fears of a slowdown in client spending. The group, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange’s Alternative Investment Market (AIM), informed shareholders on Tuesday that chief [...]
Magic Circle firm Linklaters sees partner profits soar to £2.5m after record year

July 21, 2026

Partners at magic circle law firm Linklaters saw pay packets double after the firm had its third consecutive year of double-digit profit growth. For its year to 30 April, 2026, Linklaters reported record revenue of £2.47bn, up nearly 7 per cent, and pre-tax profit of £1.2bn, up over 11 per cent, after hitting the billion-pound [...]
Rachel Reeves’ sister takes top legal role in Burnham’s Cabinet overhaul

July 21, 2026

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has picked Ellie Reeves, the sister of former Chancellor Rachel, to serve as the chief legal adviser to the government. Lord Richard Hermer KC, a close ally of Keir Starmer who played a pivotal role in shaping the legal and international stance of Starmer’s government, was dismissed as attorney general and [...]

Spending hits 13-month high as Brits splurge on entertainment, Barclays says

Nottingham Forest reportedly terminate Edu contract

City of London’s Rolls-Royce limo converted to electric power

By: Maria Ward-Brennan

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