Accounting watchdog announces investigation into KPMG over HBOS June 27, 2016 The accountancy watchdog has launched an investigation into KPMG over its audit of HBOS. Specifically, the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) is looking into the conduct of KPMG Audit relating to its audit of HBOS for the year ended 31 December 2007. In 2008, HBOS collapsed and needed to be bailed out by Lloyds, shortly after the [...]
Accounting watchdog announces investigation into PwC over BHS audit June 27, 2016 The watchdog for the accountancy industry has today announced it will launch an investigation into PwC over BHS. The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) said it will take a closer look at the professional services firm's audit of the retailer for the year ended 30 August 2014. A PwC spokesperson said: "We will co-operate fully with the FRC in its [...]
Pour another cup of coffee and make sure it’s strong: Lawyers brace themselves for a flood of client questions post-Brexit vote June 26, 2016 Lawyers are unlikely to be short of work for the foreseeable future, as clients raise concerns about what the result of last Thursday's vote means for them. The number of people registered for a call set up by magic circle outfit Allen & Overy to address questions surrounding the referendum result shot up from 500 to 1,700 [...]
Libor Three jury reaches verdict for one ex-Barclays banker, as judge says decision on other four defendants does not need to be unanimous June 23, 2016 The jury in a trial of five ex-Barclays bankers accused of Libor-rigging offences has arrived at a verdict for one of the men today. Judge Anthony Leonard also instructed the jury this afternoon that they could reach a majority verdict on the other four defendants. It has been reported that the jury was sent home [...]
Demand for Accenture’s consulting services has pushed up the firm’s revenue, sending the share price higher in the pre-market June 23, 2016 An up-swing in Accenture's consulting business has helped the company beat analyst expectations in its third quarter. The Dublin-based company reported a better-than-expected 8.6 per cent rise in quarterly revenue to $8.43bn (£6.44bn) from $7.77bn in the same period last year. Net income rose to $897.2m, or $1.41 per share, for the three months to the end of May, [...]
Here’s what Brexit might do to your tax bill June 23, 2016 If the UK votes to leave the EU today, tax experts are advising that it could result in a shakeup to certain parts of the tax regime – although exactly how is not quite certain. Will a Brexit vote result in a complete overhaul of tax as we know it? While some taxation rules might be ripe for a [...]
The seven key qualities of accountants of the future June 23, 2016 From the global fall in oil prices back in March to the months of uncertainty created by today’s EU referendum, so far 2016 has been an unpredictable year for businesses in the UK. Of course, challenges such as these are nothing new. In the modern, global economy, volatility is the new normal. The question now [...]
Italian job: Law firm Fieldfisher agrees merger with Italy’s SASPI June 21, 2016 Fieldfisher has today agreed a merger with Italian law firm Studio Associato Servizi Professionali Integrati (SASPI). The merger, which will take the form of a Swiss verein style association, will take effect at the start of next month and SASPI will be adopting the Fieldfisher brand name. The two firms combined will have around 970 professionals and [...]
Court told: Failure to spot fixing is like missing nudists on a beach June 15, 2016 The possibility that Barclays bosses did not notice the manipulation of Libor submissions is the equivalent of them failing to spot nudists on a beach, a lawyer said yesterday. Adrian Darbishire, a lawyer for ex-trader Ryan Reich, said in his closing arguments that it was more likely executives didn’t think anything was wrong with what was going [...]
Creative and technology industries best served by Remain vote, warns law firm June 14, 2016 A Brexit would hamper the UK's creative and technological industries, a law firm specialising in intellectual property has today warned. EIP also noted that it was supporting the Remain campaign, adding that a vote to leave the EU would be bad for intellectual property (IP) rights holders in general. Read more: ECB to do "whatever it [...]