Post-Weinstein can the legal sector change its secretive cover up culture March 25, 2018 In the less than six months since Ronan Farrow published his explosive New Yorker expose on movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, behaviour that would previously have been hushed up or talked about in whispers in the media and business world is now being exposed to the cold light of day. The legal sector is no different [...]
Facebook’s reign of unpunished rule-breaking is coming to an end March 23, 2018 Sorry seems to be the hardest word, they say. And for tech-superstar-turned-virtual-antichrist Mark Zuckerberg, it certainly seems difficult. The scandal over the unorthodox use of Facebook user data by political consultancy firm Cambridge Analytica isn’t going away. It’s been nearly a week since the Guardian profiled whistleblower Christopher Wylie, who explains how the company scraped [...]
Can Eco-Tourism Help Cape Town During Its Worst Ever Drought? March 19, 2018 You wouldn’t suspect there was anything odd about the bathrooms at the Cape Grace hotel. Until, that is, you looked inside the tub. There, dangling uselessly from the porcelain, you’ll see a neatly snipped-off inch of chain that once held a bath plug. This plug, along with every other in the hotel, has vanished. Clues [...]
City of London Lord Mayor Charles Bowman “confident” government can agree Brexit transition in 13 days March 19, 2018 London’s Lord Mayor is “quietly confident” the government will secure a transitional Brexit deal in the next fortnight to be ready ahead of the one-year marker for the UK leaving the EU. Charles Bowman, who serves as the figurehead for the City of London Corporation’s lobbying efforts, said the government has indicated it will try [...]
European Central Bank’s Mario Draghi calls for end to clearing dispute before Brexit February 26, 2018 Mario Draghi today moved to put the spotlight back onto London’s multi-trillion euro clearing industry, urging the EU to push through a new approach to regulation before Brexit. The European Central Bank (ECB) president demanded a central role in the supervision of clearing central counterparties (CCPs), yet struck a more conciliatory tone than some European [...]
Roman J Israel Esq review: Denzel Washington shines but can’t quite save this messy law drama February 2, 2018 Roman J Israel Esq lines up its ducks – a star actor on blistering form, a timely dissection of racial bias in the US legal system, a distinctive visual style – yet manages to come home empty handed. It’s the second feature from Dan Gilroy, following 2014’s chillingly nihilistic Nightcrawler. And while that was [...]
Made in China? Xi Jinping could dethrone the nation’s counterfeit kings December 7, 2017 Imitation might be the highest form of flattery, but that is of little comfort to the western businesses that suffer at the hands of China’s infamous copycat kings. From apps to caps, few products avoid the risk of spawning an illegitimate twin. All eyes are now on President Xi Jinping, as Chinese industry looks set [...]
Steps to take if you are worried about a hacked Uber account November 23, 2017 Uber is not the first business to fall foul to a security breach and it certainly won’t be the last. The reality is that – with data breaches like Yahoo!, Equifax, and now Uber – we must accept that a plethora of once-trusted companies can no longer be trusted to keep our private data secure. [...]
Autumn Budget: Philip Hammond glosses over gloomy growth November 23, 2017 There’s a wonderful clip doing the rounds of Australian MP Bob Katter answering a question on the country’s new equal marriage law. He’s all in favour of it – “let a thousand blossoms bloom,” he grins and chuckles, before his facial expression changes into one of fury as he quickly adds “but I ain’t spending [...]
Disruptive law firm Keystone reveals £50m float plans November 16, 2017 Disruptive law firm Keystone today announced plans for a £50m float to boost its brand and enhance growth prospects. Founded in 2002, Keystone was one of the first so-called "platform" firms. The company sits as an umbrella, allowing smaller firms to operate out of their own offices but under Keystone's brand. Lawyers do not receive [...]