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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‘Landmark moment’ – AI law firm wins its first-ever court battle

June 22, 2026

In a global legal first, an AI-powered law firm that has regulatory approval has won its first court trial. Garfield AI, the world’s first AI law firm authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), has just been successful in a small claim for a freelancer to win against a hospitality business. The case [...]
Judge rejects Gatwick Airport bid to block new relaxed runway slot rules

June 19, 2026

A High Court judge has refused Gatwick’s request for an immediate emergency freeze to stop the new 70 per cent rule from starting today. The UK government temporarily reduced the “use it or lose it” slot usage requirement at major UK airports, including Gatwick Airport, from the standard 80 per cent to 70 per cent [...]
Professional services firms the ‘flavour of the month’ for cyberattacks

June 19, 2026

Professional services firms, particularly law firms, are the “current flavour of the month” for cyberattacks, driven by the valuable client information the sector guards. Speaking to City AM, Holly Waszak, head of cyber claims advocacy at Marsh, said: “We’re seeing insurers come to us with law firms on their books, and they are trying to [...]
Lloyd’s and Chubb unlock $400m to jumpstart Strait of Hormuz shipping

June 19, 2026

The world’s largest insurance marketplace is set to break the Strait of Hormuz logjam with a new $400m (£316m) war-risk facility. Lloyd’s of London has launched a new market consortium designed to provide additional marine war risk insurance capacity for vessels and cargo transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Insurer Chubb will serve as lead underwriter, [...]
LLPs remain under watchful eye – especially from the taxman

June 18, 2026

Despite dodging Budget day taxes, the UK’s limited liability partnership (LLP) model is still facing intense scrutiny, this time from HMRC, which just had a good result from the top court this week, writes Maria Ward-Brennan. The LLP model, used by professional services such as law firms and accountancy firms, came into force 25 years [...]
City law firms ‘sleepwalking into a crisis’ over AI overreliance

June 18, 2026

As legal tech valuations skyrocket, and AI dominates the airwaves, City law firms have been warned they are ‘sleepwalking into a crisis of judgment’ by treating AI as a definitive authority rather than a collaborative tool. A report by Positive Group, exclusively shared with City AM, stated that the legal sector faces a potential crisis [...]
More Big Four blues as Deloitte plans to slash UK audit roles

June 16, 2026

Big Four giant Deloitte is seeking to cut nearly 200 jobs across its audit business in the UK, the latest in a series of cuts at the accountancy giants. The firm is offering voluntary redundancy packages to a number of employees in response to low levels of staff attrition in its audit practice. A Deloitte [...]
Allianz tech blitz dethrones AXA to claim Europe’s insurance AI crown

June 16, 2026

Allianz has officially overtaken French insurer AXA to claim the top spot in global AI maturity, capitalising on a massive talent hoarding strategy. The German insurance giant, Allianz, has amassed an AI workforce 28 per cent larger than its closest rival, resulting in a staggering 900 active AI use cases worldwide and putting pressure on [...]
Former KPMG chief joins £10m funding round for AI-powered audit challenger

June 16, 2026

A Berlin-based audit AI firm has raised over £10m in a fundraising round, including from Dawn Capital, to expand into the UK market as a solution to the skilled labour shortage in the audit industry. Cortea, founded in 2024 by Valentin Neumann and Philipp Hovelmann, pitches itself as an answer for firms under pressure to [...]
Mayer Brown defends ‘do not disturb’ policy despite criticism from rivals

June 15, 2026

When the US law firm Mayer Brown, based in the City, implemented a policy that partners should not disturb associates during their holidays, its London office managing partner said some rival partners criticised the move. Speaking to City AM, Dominic Griffiths said: “When I introduced that policy [three years ago], there were one or two [...]

Revolut US licence win ‘strengthens pre-IPO story’

RFU left waiting on Twickenham gig planning meeting after NIMBY opposition

Open House Festival: The best guided walks in the Square Mile

By: Maria Ward-Brennan

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