China tells state-owned companies to cut ties with the Big Four February 22, 2023 China has told its state-owned companies to stop working with the Big Four auditors – EY, KPMG, PwC, and Deloitte – and asked them to use local accounting firms instead. China’s Ministry of Finance (MoF) has called on the country’s state-controlled firms to let their audit contracts with the Big Four expire, Bloomberg reported today. [...]
FCA warns firms to act now or risk falling foul of incoming consumer duty regime February 22, 2023 Firms must act now to prepare for a new consumer duty, a boss at the City regulator has said. Sheldon Mills, executive director of competition and consumers at the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), told firms: “You still have time to deliver. But you must act now.” Speaking at an online event hosted by Deloitte marking [...]
McKinsey to cut up to 2,000 staff in one of its biggest round of layoffs ever February 22, 2023 McKinsey is planning to cut up to 2,000 back-office staff as it seeks to control costs and retain its partner payouts. The plans could affect up to 2,000 of McKinsey’s 45,000 staff, in one of the consulting firm’s largest rounds of job cuts ever. McKinsey’s plans, first reported by Bloomberg, are set to see [...]
Labour ‘very supportive’ of post-Brexit overhaul of EU Solvency II rules February 21, 2023 Labour is “very supportive” of the government’s plans to overhaul EU rules that govern Britain’s insurance sector, shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said. The government is eager to overhaul the EU-era Solvency II rules, which govern the sums of money insurers must hold on their balance sheets to protect themselves against bankruptcy, in a bid to [...]
Keystone Law benefits from bull market and shift to homeworking, chief says February 20, 2023 Keystone Law has benefited from the widespread shift to homeworking, the law firm’s founder and chief executive James Knight told City A.M., as it forecast revenues and pre-tax profits for the year will beat expectations. Keystone Law, which is listed on London’s Alternative Investment Market, today said it expects its revenues and pre-tax profits will [...]
KPMG’s Carillion settlement generates £7m profit for Aussie litigation funder February 20, 2023 An Australian litigation funder has more than doubled its money after giving Carillion’s liquidator millions to fight a £1.3bn lawsuit against KPMG. Litigation Capital Management (LCM) has generated more than £7m in profits after funding the claim brought by Carillion’s liquidator against the Big Four firm, the Aussie firm said today. LCM’s announcement comes [...]
Darktrace hires EY in bid to win back credibility after short seller questions accounts February 20, 2023 Cybersecurity company Darktrace has hired EY to review its finances in a bid to win back credibility after a short seller questioned its accounts. Darktrace has recruited the Big Four auditor to carry out an independent review after New York investment fund Quintessential Capital Management cast doubt over the “validity” of the tech firm’s financial [...]
Audit reform plans ‘ready to go’ but government delays now holding UK back, accountancy chief warns February 20, 2023 The UK government’s failure to overhaul the country’s audit sector risks seeing Britain lose its position as a world-leading investment hub, the head of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales has warned. ICAEW chief Michael Izza told City A.M. continued delays to the UK’s planned reshaping of the country’s audit sector could see foreign investors [...]
Calling the consultants’ bluff: The Big Con author on reining in the power of consulting firms February 20, 2023 Rosie Collington is seeking to call the consulting sector’s bluff. The UCL researcher is on a mission to challenge the notion that “consultancies exist on the scale and scope they do today because they create value in the economy.” Collington — one author of ‘The Big Con: How the consulting industry weakens our businesses, infantilizes our governments [...]
Mazars UK business posts ‘record’ growth as firm pushes to tackle Big Four’s dominance February 16, 2023 Mazars today said its UK audit business grew 37 per cent over the previous year, as the accounting firm seeks to take on the Big Four and capture a larger share of the market. Mazars’ UK business posted “record” growth, despite rising costs, after its revenues increased by more than a fifth (23 per [...]
