‘You can blame us’: The firm that sparked accountancy private equity gold rush Accountancy Blick Rothenberg’s chief executive, Nimesh Shah, told CityAM 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 Prof Services 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 CityAM, 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 Big Four 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 [...]
City law firms considering corporate-style models amid capital crunch July 23, 2026 Artificial intelligence investment may force top City firms to abandon the traditional limited liability partnership (LLP) mindset and behave like capital‑hungry corporates, a top legal finance firm has predicted. Speaking to CityAM, Burford Capital’s chief operating officer, Travis Lenkner, and vice president, Patrick Savage, said City law firms that would never traditionally sell a controlling [...]
Layoffs and an executive exit: What’s going on at London’s first listed law firm? July 22, 2026 Gateley, the City’s first listed law firm, is set to lose its chief executive and axe dozens of jobs as it grapples with a swelling cost base and fears of a slowdown in client spending. The group, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange’s Alternative Investment Market (AIM), informed shareholders on Tuesday that chief [...]
Magic circle Freshfields ousts equity partners amid US push July 13, 2026 Senior staff are bracing for a shake-up at magic circle law firm Freshfields, as partners have been forced out to boost growth and fund its US expansion. The City-based firm has ousted several equity partners in recent weeks across several European offices, including London, according to the Financial Times, as it focuses on growth. Speaking [...]
Hogan Lovells Cadwalader looks to tap transatlantic dealmaking boom following merger July 13, 2026 Global law firm Hogan Lovells Cadwalader is looking to grab more of the private capital market from rivals and tap into a boom in transatlantic dealmaking following the City firm’s merger with the oldest legal practice on Wall Street. UK managing partner Penny Angell told CityAM the merger creates “a stronger bench” for the combined companies [...]
Battersea Power Station misreporting claims scrutinised by accounting watchdog July 10, 2026 The City’s accounting watchdog is scrutinising claims of financial misreporting at Battersea Power Station after the former chief executive alleged he was dismissed from his role for blowing the whistle on inflated property valuations, CityAM understands. The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) is reportedly looking at claims made by the former boss of the iconic [...]
Exclusive: PwC set to cut audit jobs amid market slowdown July 9, 2026 PwC is set to slash its headcount in its UK audit division, the latest in a series of redundancies at Big Four accountancy giants. CityAM understands that those affected are senior associates and managers in the audit practice. It is understood this is due to low staff attrition in the firm’s audit practice, a [...]
Exclusive: Big Four giant KPMG to cut more jobs July 9, 2026 Big Four giant KPMG is set to lay off around 10 per cent of staff in its UK group corporate services division, CityAM understands. The division, which includes HR, corporate affairs, marketing, tech, and procurement, is understood to be cutting around 200 people. A KPMG UK spokesperson told CityAM: “As we continue to [...]
