Exclusive: Sydney Opera House and Gherkin designer Arup loses finance chief Consulting The design company behind the Sydney Opera House and Gherkin has been left without a finance chief after the former executive in the role quietly left the business, Morning Wire has learned. Robert Boardman, who spent nearly seven years as chief financial officer at the blue-chip engineering, design, and professional services consultancy, resigned as a [...]
Offshore legal giant Mourant eyes expansion with private equity boost Prof Services Offshore legal heavyweight Mourant is the latest professional services firm to take on private equity investment after MML Capital made a minority investment in the firm. Mourant, an offshore firm that advises on the laws of the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Guernsey, Jersey, and Luxembourg for the financial industry and institutional investors, has taken [...]
Global advisory giant Brunswick explores capital raise Advisory City PR and advisory heavyweight Brunswick is reportedly weighing up a fresh cash injection via a sale of a stake in the firm, setting the stage for a punchy windfall for its top executives. Five years after securing a £500m valuation following the sale of a 10.7 per cent stake to US private bank BDT [...]
Boozy lunches still on the menu: Law firms bankroll juniors to schmooze clients in the City July 31, 2026 The long lunch, a cornerstone for corporate workers wooing clients in the City, has been considered to be on the decline with the rise of hybrid working, stretched budgets, and a new cohort of young professionals opting for alcohol-free options. But at law firms, this tradition is not off the menu; instead, it is being [...]
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. [...]
While rivals scramble to merge, the world’s biggest law firm is playing the long game July 30, 2026 While rival law firms grapple with mergers and headline tie‑ups, Dentons, the world’s largest law firm by size, is quietly betting that an ‘already there’ strategy will play in its favour. Dentons’ global chief executive Kate Barton told Morning Wire the firm, like much of Big Law, is focused on globalised client relationships: “We have [...]
Grant Thornton set for $5bn CBIZ buyout in landmark accountancy deal July 29, 2026 Grant Thornton is set to buy New York-listed management consulting firm CBIZ in a proposed $5bn deal, one of the largest transactions of its kind in the accountancy sector, creating the fifth-largest professional services firm in the US. CBIZ, the only audit firm listed on the US stock market, is set to be acquired by [...]
‘You can blame us’: The firm that sparked accountancy private equity gold rush July 29, 2026 Blick Rothenberg’s chief executive, Nimesh Shah, told Morning Wire the firm ‘killed’ the traditional partnership model a decade ago, and now stands as the blueprint that every mid-tier accountancy competitor is trying to emulate. City-based Blick Rothenberg is widely recognised as the first major UK accountancy firm to receive private equity backing, after HgCapital invested [...]
Grant Thornton partners pocket £35m from private equity deal July 28, 2026 Equity partners at professional services giant Grant Thornton’s UK arm received a £35.2m payout after a large stake in the firm was bought by private equity-backer Cinven. According to Companies House filings, as seen by Morning Wire, a considerable one-time payout of £35.2m was made to “certain individuals” who are equity partners at the firm. [...]
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 [...]