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 [...]
Risks of artificial intelligence on financial markets must be monitored, warns Financial Stability Board November 1, 2017 The world’s top central bankers have warned that the spread of artificial intelligence could pose a threat to financial stability. The Financial Stability Board (FSB) said yesterday it was crucial for regulators to monitor the growing adoption of AI and machine learning technology across the financial industry, from hedge funds to brokers to banks. Read [...]
Following in the tyre tracks of legendary rock stars through Morocco in a Bentley Bentayga November 1, 2017 As I steer off the ferry from Spain and burble through the customs gate, I catch sight of the Grand Mosque’s rectangular minaret that greeted Keith Richards and Anita Pallenberg in 1967. I’m in Tangier, exactly 50 years later, on a mission to Marrakech and, like Keith and Anita, my girlfriend and I have arrived [...]
Cohabiting couples: Don’t get caught out November 1, 2017 As fewer couples choose to tie the knot, it’s clear that marriage is no longer widely seen as the be-all-and-end-all to a relationship. Instead, many couples are opting for the cohabitation route – as sexy as that sounds. Figures from insurance giant Zurich estimate that there are more than 400,000 cohabiting families in London alone. [...]
Legal services: It’s time to be transparent about pricing October 23, 2017 For too long, pricing has been the thorn in the side for many businesses employing legal services firms. Last year, the Competition and Markets Authority published a damning report on legal services in the UK, highlighting the impenetrable nature of pricing for clients. Around £11-12bn a year is spent by consumers on legal services in [...]
The London underground: How the underground music zines of the 1960s helped to define the counterculture | City A.M. October 4, 2017 Although I grew up in London with the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Joan Bakewell, the day I discovered the underground press, to use the vernacular of the day, “blew my mind”. Since 1975, I’ve collected printed materials associated with the British underground press, an anarchic phenomenon that provides a fascinating alternative history of the [...]
Uncertainty is a large problem for small businesses September 14, 2017 Today’s economic and political environment creates a number of challenges for the UK’s 5.5m small businesses. One of the most prominent is uncertainty, and the impact this has on the cost of doing business; it affects the ability of businesses to access finance, invest, export, and ultimately, grow. Consequently, the provision of tailored guidance and [...]
Addison Lee acquires Tandem Technologies to fuel New York launch September 13, 2017 Addison Lee has acquired a New York-based taxi platform in the latest US expansion plans for the minicab firm beyond its home turf of London. The deal to buy black car service Tandem Technologies from transport operator Transdev will see the launch of the Addison Lee brand in the states for the first time, as [...]
Juncker’s State of the Union address: President wants “more united Union”, with single leader as he says Brexit is not “the future of Europe” September 13, 2017 Jean-Claude Juncker has set out his vision for “a more united Union” – including a single President of Europe – insisting Brexit will not set the tone for the bloc. In his annual State of the Union address, Juncker revealed plans for the presidencies of the European Commission and the European Council to be merged, [...]
Meet the firm which hopes to solve the late payment problem September 7, 2017 Most firms just aren’t ready for the tsunami of changes around working capital which will hit British businesses this year. This warning comes from Tony Duggan, chief executive of fintech firm Crossflow Payments, a company which acts like a cog between corporations, their suppliers, and funding providers – ensuring that suppliers don’t have to wait [...]