City watchdog eyes new laws for claimant firms accused of ‘harm’ May 6, 2026 The City watchdog has threatened enforcement action and new laws to impose “stronger compensation mechanisms” against the claims management market, including law firms that cause harm. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has launched a fresh review of “the root causes of poor practices” across the market, as claims management companies and law firms come under [...]
How does a Pokemon card fetch £12m? Inside the lucrative world of rare trading cards April 30, 2026 The Pokemon and Matchattax cards you had when you were a kid could fetch big bucks now. From multi-million price tags to Premier League brand deals, Matt Kenyon digs into this unlikely new asset class. At a glance, it looked a bit like Comic Con. But in reality, Fort Knox would have been a better [...]
City law firms clamp down on the equity cookie jar April 30, 2026 Law firms are tightening access to equity partnerships to protect profits, increasingly reserving the equity pool for top performers, writes Maria Ward-Brennan. As the Big Four giants dominate the headlines with internal changes, the firms are seeking to regain control of their expanded equity pools amid profitability problems. These giants are looking to mirror what [...]
How is Vietnam outperforming the FTSE 100? April 23, 2026 The UK’s blue chip stock market index has been outpaced in 2026 by rival benchmarks tracking alternatives in emerging markets, creating some eye-catching comparisons over the returns generated in the year to date. For London and the FTSE 100, it amounts to a change in fortunes. It gained roughly 22 per cent for 2025, in [...]
The AI cracks are starting to show at law firms April 23, 2026 Law firms have poured vast sums into AI in a race to modernise, but ‘hallucinations‘ and security concerns are exposing the technology’s risks, writes Maria Ward-Brennan. There has been intense pressure on legal, advisory, and consultancy firms to invest in, embed, and deploy AI over the last couple of years, but this pressure is now [...]
AI governance for boards: A short practical guide April 22, 2026 The boards hoping AI won’t change their world are already failing their fiduciary duty. So here’s what they need to do, according to Lewis Liu When I was building Eigen, my previous AI company, I used to roll my eyes (privately) whenever someone asked me about AI bias. Eigen digitised complex financial and legal documents [...]
Proposed consumer lawsuit regime may expose businesses to mass litigation April 22, 2026 The UK government’s proposal for a class-action scheme that allows consumers to collectively sue businesses could wreak havoc if greenlit, as businesses could face ‘increased litigation risk’. The Law Commission, sponsored by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), proposed project, expected to commence in Autumn 2026, will identify the benefits and risks of introducing a more [...]
Back Nicholls’ Yoga to stretch his Sandown rivals April 21, 2026 AWAY from the headline action on Sandown’s Jumps Finale card, the Novices’ Championship Final Handicap Hurdle (1.45pm) has attracted a competitive field of unexposed hurdlers. It looks unlikely that the race will fill up at this stage, so I’m dipping into the ante-post market with two selections for the two-mile contest now. The first of [...]
Dyson, JCB and Global Brands: The firms facing a break-up after Labour’s tax grab April 16, 2026 The government’s inheritance tax crackdown has sparked a wave of warnings from entrepreneurs. We list some of the biggest names to have spoken out in opposition to the changes. To most avid followers of current affairs, the Autumn Budget of 2024 will feel like a lifetime ago. Since then, Donald Trump has been elected to [...]
Regulator struggles to tackle harassment and bullying at City law firms April 16, 2026 It won’t come as a shock to you that City law firms have long struggled with cultures of bullying and harassment, and the regulator is kept out of the loop, argues senior reporter Maria Ward-Brennan. The high-pressure demands placed on lawyers at City law firms have long bred cultures of bullying and harassment. In a [...]