Affluent Big Four partners lack ‘fire in the belly’ to disrupt consulting market Advisory The trend of Big Four partners leaving to launch boutique consultancies has accelerated in recent years. But Q5 co-founder has told City AM that many will struggle to build true challenger brands without an “all or nothing” approach. Five founders, including managing partner Olly Purnell, launched boutique consultancy firm Q5 at the height of the global financial [...]
Trump’s tough stance on DEI costs Big Four giant Deloitte millions Big Four Deloitte has agreed to pay the US government $21.5m to settle allegations that it violated federal ‘equal opportunity’ requirements in its contracts, as the Trump administration continues its crackdown on diversity, equity, and inclusion. The US Justice Department claimed that from 2017 to the present, the Big Four giant had falsely said it had complied [...]
Interpath chief fined for breaching confidentiality rules before KPMG spin-off Prof Services The chief executive of restructuring firm Interpath Advisory has been fined for allegedly breaching confidentiality standards before the company was sold to private equity by Big Four accounting giant KPMG, its former owner. The UK’s accounting body, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales (ICAEW), said Mark Raddan, a former KPMG board member, [...]
KPMG seeks financial support from parent group in wake of audit scandal August 24, 2026 KPMG Australia has asked its parent company for financial support and laid off hundreds of staff after an audit scandal rocked the Big Four firm’s business down under. In its annual results on Monday, the Australian arm of the accounting group said it will cut its workforce by five per cent and partner pay by [...]
Private equity-backed advisory firm acquires specialist music boutique August 14, 2026 Mid-tier accountancy and advisory firm BKL has snapped up a smaller counterpart in its latest acquisition, aiming to strengthen its focus on the music, media, and entertainment sector in London. City-based BKL, which offers tax, accounting, and business advisory services, has snapped up specialist music accountancy firm Dales Evans, as it “continues to expand its [...]
PwC’s Embankment HQ to get major makeover ahead of Canary Wharf move August 7, 2026 The current headquarters of Big Four giant PwC at 1 Embankment Place is set to be transformed into a “sustainable workspace” in a bid to attract and retain major firms as renters, as it awaits planning permission. City-based property and asset management firm Bridgemont said on Friday it has submitted a planning application to Westminster [...]
Deloitte snaps up construction cost boutique to target infrastructure boom August 4, 2026 Deloitte has snapped up a niche construction consultancy as the Big Four firm looks to capitalise on the growing demand for tighter financial controls on major infrastructure projects. Deloitte has acquired The Orange Partnership, a Midlands-based consultancy specialising in cost verification and cost assurance in the construction sector, City AM can reveal. The deal comes [...]
Watchdog probes KPMG over Wood Group audit July 30, 2026 The audit watchdog has opened an investigation into Big Four giant KPMG and two accountants over the accounts belonging to engineering and consulting firm John Wood Group. The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) revealed on Thursday that it officially launched two separate regulatory investigations concerning the financial reporting and statutory auditing of the former London-listed group. [...]
PwC thought leadership reports ‘100 per cent AI generated’ July 29, 2026 The Big Four giant PwC has been found to have published four ‘thought leadership’ reports that show a pattern of irresponsible AI usage, including hallucinated citations and fabricated claims. A probe by GPTZero, a company that makes AI detection software, focused on four reports published between 2024 and 2026 by PwC Middle East and found [...]
EY and London managing partner fined over £1.3m for audit failure July 28, 2026 Big Four giant EY and its London office managing partner have been hit with a nearly £1.3m fine by the financial watchdog for audit failings related to retailer Made.com in 2021. The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) said the sanction follows an investigation into Julie Carlyle, who manages the City office and a portfolio of many [...]