Is this the end of law firm IPOs? January 30, 2023 British law firms have traditionally stayed away from public markets. Yet following a series of IPOs over the past eight years, there are now six UK law firms listed on the stock exchange. Gateley became the first UK law firm to launch an IPO in 2015 after floating on London’s alternative investment market (AIM). In [...]
Direct Line boss James quits as another insurance firm counts the cost of the deep freeze January 27, 2023 Direct Line said it was seeking a new chief executive following the resignation of Penny James. James, who was also a director of the FTSE 250 company, will be leaving with immediate effect. Jon Greenwood, who was Direct Line’s chief commercial officer, will step in as acting chief executive officer until a permanent replacement is [...]
EY Germany likely to slash hundreds of jobs as Wirecard scandal fall out casts shadow over future profits January 26, 2023 EY’s German arm is planning to cut 40 partners and 380 staff as it attempts to boost profitability in the wake of the Wirecard scandal. The Big Four accounting firm’s German business is in talks to ditch hundreds of jobs after top audit clients including Commerzbank, DWS, and KfW pulled away from the firm following [...]
Serious Fraud Office: Osofsky backs government’s plan for new ‘failure to prevent’ fraud offence January 25, 2023 The director of the UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has backed plans for a new ‘failure to prevent’ fraud offence, after government ministers today confirmed the offence would make its way on the statute books. SFO chief Lisa Osofsky said government plans to introduce a failure to prevent offence for fraud has the “potential to [...]
London motorists hit with sharpest uptick in car insurance costs as UK premiums surge January 25, 2023 Motorists are now paying £100 more for car insurance than last year, according to new research which shows premiums have increased at their sharpest rate in six years. Car insurance premiums have increased 19 per cent over the past 12 months, meaning motorists now pay average sums of £629 to insure their vehicles, Confused.com’s Car [...]
December’s deep freeze: Cost of living crisis leaves Aviva with a £50m bill for burst pipes and water tanks January 25, 2023 Aviva said last December’s freezing weather meant it had to pay out £50m to policyholders claiming for damage caused by burst pipes and water tanks. An Aviva spokesperson told Morning Wire said soaring energy costs had led to more frozen pipes because households were more reluctance to turn on the heating, leading to more extremes [...]
Former Janus Henderson analyst charged in £1.5m insider trading case January 25, 2023 The UK’s financial watchdog has launched criminal proceedings against five individuals over claims they used insider information from an analyst at a top asset manager to illegally generate profits of £1.5m. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) claims Redinel Korfuzi, a former analyst at asset manager Janus Henderson, and his associates allegedly used confidential information from [...]
Gambling firm In Touch fined over £6m for failing to protect vulnerable customers and money laundering breaches January 25, 2023 In Touch Games has been fined £6.1m for social responsibility and money laundering failings by the Gambling Commission. The gambling firm, which operates 11 websites including bonusboss.co.uk, cashmo.co.uk, drslot.co.uk, jammymonkey.com and slotfactory.com, was charged over not having appropriate policies, procedures and controls in place and not sufficiently considering or implementing the regulator’s money laundering and [...]
Saga to launch new over-50s media brand to capitalise on UK’s ageing population January 24, 2023 Saga is set to launch a new over-50s media brand, the conglomerate’s chief executive told Morning Wire, as the company looks to capitalise on the UK’s ageing population. Saga, which sells travel, insurance, and financial services to over-50s, is seeking to exploit a “gap in the market” and build a “superbrand for older people” by [...]
UK’s ‘science superpower’ dreams at risk due to HMRC crackdown on R&D tax relief fraud January 24, 2023 The UK’s goal to become a ‘science superpower’ is at risk as an increasing number of British firms move their R&D activity abroad, due in part to HMRC’s crackdown on fraudulent tax relief claims, a new report says. More than two-thirds (69 per cent) of UK businesses moved R&D activity abroad last year, figures from [...]