Business lobby groups slam competition watchdog’s calls for radical audit reform April 18, 2019 Business lobby group the CBI said reforms to the audit sector proposed today by the competition watchdog could “undermine confidence in corporate Britain”. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) today called for the Big Four accountancy firm’s audit arms to be split from their non-audit arms with separate profit pool and management in a major [...]
Court brings £14bn Mastercard mega-claim back to life April 16, 2019 A £14bn class action against Mastercard has been revived after the Court of Appeal reversed an earlier decision to have the claim dismissed. Three judges found that the case, led by the former financial ombudsman Walter Merricks, could be reheard for certification in the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), which ruled in 2017 that the claim [...]
Recruiter Hays’ share price slips after it lags fee expectations in trading update April 16, 2019 Shares in recruiter Hays dipped today after it announced lower-than-expected growth in its third quarter trading update. Read more: Profits grow at Robert Walters in a 'solid' first quarter Hays said net fee growth for the quarter was six per cent, below the consensus figure of seven per cent. The firm was hit by a [...]
Law firm Baker McKenzie confirms death of global chair Paul Rawlinson April 15, 2019 The global chair of Baker McKenzie has passed away, the law firm has confirmed. Read more: Over here: City's legal elite under pressure from expansion of US entrants Paul Rawlinson died unexpectedly on Friday, Baker McKenzie said. He had stepped back from his role temporarily last October due to exhaustion. “It is with great sadness that [...]
Profits grow at recruitment consultant Robert Walters in a ‘solid’ first quarter April 15, 2019 Recruiter Robert Walters started the year solidly, growing gross profit by 11 per cent in the first quarter, it said this morning. The global consultant relied on strong growth in Asia to help push up overall figures, increasing gross profit, or net fee income, 12 per cent to £36.4m. In Japan, mainland China, the Philippines, [...]
Lawyers at Kirkland & Ellis worry boozy grad event could see firm landed with frat boy rep April 15, 2019 Lawyers at US law firm Kirkland & Ellis say a recent boozy graduate recruitment event that saw two lawyers go home with students could land the firm with a frat boy reputation. The firm’s head of compliance was looking into the incident last week, insiders say, ahead of reports that emerged on Friday. Legal gossip [...]
Major companies could be exempt from joint audit rules in competition watchdog report April 14, 2019 The UK’s competition watchdog reportedly could exclude some major companies from a new rule that would require many business to appoint joint auditors. Sky News reported that the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is set to publish its long awaited report into the audit sector this week. According to the report, the CMA has been [...]
With the AI genie firmly out of the bottle, what impact could this have on accountants? April 10, 2019 This month, the British Film Institute celebrates the late Stanley Kubrick with a retrospective of his work. One of Kubrick’s most celebrated films, 2001: A Space Odyssey, was ground-breaking in its depiction of space – and it’s extraordinary to think that all the special effects created for it were achieved entirely without CGI, over 50 [...]
Warner Bros files copyright complaint against Trump’s Dark Knight Rises re-election tweet April 10, 2019 Warner Brothers is taking legal action against US President Donald Trump after he posted a video on Twitter that used music from The Dark Knight Rises. Read more: Mueller report to be released 'within a week' Trump yesterday posted the two-minute promotional video, seemingly as part of his 2020 re-election campaign, accompanied by the caption “MAKE [...]
You’ve been served: A look at the growing trend for divorce loans April 10, 2019 Divorce law in England and Wales is set for an overhaul. New rules announced yesterday will prevent one partner refusing a divorce when the other partner wants one. It’s hoped that the reform will speed up “no-fault” divorces, allowing couples to split with less acrimony, and ending what justice secretary David Gauke described as the [...]