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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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 [...]
Revealed: KPMG and Deloitte offer bumper redundancy packages to slash headcount

July 17, 2026

KPMG and Deloitte are offering UK staff bumper redundancy packages as they look to slash their headcount and trim costs, City AM can reveal. The two accountancy companies, as well as PwC, have all ramped up their payouts to employees after a slowdown in the sector’s traditional ‘attrition model’, in which around 15-20 per cent [...]
PwC slapped with multi-million fine for audit failures at FTSE 100 firm Babcock

July 16, 2026

Big Four giant PwC and a former partner have been fined over £5.5m for the audit failures of London-listed engineering giant Babcock International. The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) issued disciplinary action against the firm and its audit partner, John Waters, following numerous serious audit breaches during the financial years 2019 and 2020 audits of the [...]
Elite English firms face uphill battle in fierce New York market

July 16, 2026

Elite City law firms face major financial and strategic hurdles breaking into the US legal market, as fierce competition for top talent and high partner compensation make organic growth and brand-building especially challenging, writes Maria Ward-Brennan Breaking into the US has been on the agenda of many elite English law firms, most notably four-fifths of [...]
Crown Prosecution Service caught using AI hallucination evidence

July 15, 2026

British courts have had to deal with yet another case of ‘AI hallucination’ evidence – this time from the agency responsible for conducting criminal prosecutions. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) issued two apologies to the High Court after it was found to have submitted documents in an extradition appeal citing two “non-existent” legal cases. The [...]
FRC Chair-in-waiting grilled over holding seven other board roles

July 15, 2026

MPs have raised concerns over whether the former chief executive of Virgin Money can realistically juggle her role as Chair of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) alongside seven other board and chair positions. Dame Jayne-Anne Gadhia was named by the government on Monday as the next Chair of the accounting watchdog, set to take over [...]
Andy Burnham pressured to safeguard jury trials after legal backlash

July 14, 2026

The country’s criminal barristers have demanded an urgent guarantee from incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham to save jury trials. The Criminal Bar Association (CBA) has ramped up pressure on Burnham to officially drop “misguided” clauses in the Courts and Tribunals Bill that would curb the historic right to a trial by your peers. The controversial [...]
Magic circle Linklaters scores FIFA’s top lawyers in US raid

July 14, 2026

Magic circle law firm Linklaters has snagged two of FIFA’s lawyers from a rival firm as part of its push into the US legal market. Partner Christopher Boehning has joined as Chair of its global sports practice and US strategic disputes, while Daniel Levi will serve in the firm’s litigation, arbitration and investigations practice, both [...]
From crown jewel to €180m courtroom battle: The investor revolt targeting Atos

July 14, 2026

A top Whitehall tech supplier that historically managed vast swathes of critical data for the NHS is at the heart of a €180m (£153m) shareholder class action over its near-downfall two years ago. Euronext-listed Atos was once a crown jewel of the French tech sector, acting as a major partner for the French military and [...]
Former Virgin Money chief set to lead Financial Reporting Council

July 13, 2026

The former chief executive of Virgin Money has been selected as the government’s preferred candidate to lead the UK’s accountancy regulator following the expected departure of Sir Jan du Plessis. Dame Jayne-Anne Gadhia was named by Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle to replace du Plessis for a four-year term overseeing the Financial Reporting Council [...]

Business Spend Pulse: UK firms slash consulting spend amid rising AI adoption

Football multi-club ownership firm seeks London Stock Exchange bond issue

The Bayeux Tapestry, British Museum review: believe the hype

By: Maria Ward-Brennan

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