Rosie Harris-Davison

Mark Raddan, Interpath Advisory’s chief executive and former KPMG board member, was severely reprimanded by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales and ordered to pay £8,000 after sharing confidential client information on two occasions in 2018 and 2019. The misconduct occurred while he was a senior KPMG restructuring executive, before Interpath was sold to HIG Capital for £400 million in 2021. The case highlights the enduring regulatory accountability of senior professional-services executives. Interpath has also reported its third loss in four years, recording an £11 million pre-tax loss for the year ending 28 March 2025, while reportedly negotiating with Bridgepoint over a majority stake. KPMG’s restructuring practice remains under scrutiny following a £13 million tribunal fine over its work on the Silentnight sale.

Clio has appointed Casetext co-founder Pablo Arredondo to lead a new product line of AI software designed specifically for courts and judges. The initiative responds to growing caseloads, complex cases and limited resources, including a Crown Court backlog of about 80,000 cases in England and Wales. Clio says its experience serving law firms and its acquisition of vLex give it a strong position in the competitive legal technology market. Arredondo emphasized that court-focused AI must respect judicial independence and the rigour of judicial decision-making.

6 Group has acquired insolvent executive recruitment boutique Savannah Group and its AI platform, MapX, after Savannah entered administration amid financial pressures. Savannah's revenue fell from £15.6 million in 2023 to £12.4 million in 2024 while debt rose to £270,100. The buyer purchased the firm's intellectual property, client base, employees and MapX engineering team, retaining its clients and viewing the deal as a logical fit for its growth strategy.

KPMG Australia has requested financial support from KPMG International after an audit scandal, declining revenue and weaker consulting demand put the firm under severe pressure. It plans to cut five per cent of its workforce and reduce partner pay, with 360 employees and 27 partners already dismissed. The scandal involved staff misusing confidential information to win audit work and mishandling a whistleblower complaint, prompting Australian public-sector contract freezes and the loss of major clients including Lendlease. Analysts warn that revenue and financing pressures could worsen, while KPMG International has declined to comment on its financial arrangements with member firms.

HM Treasury has launched an independent review of how business rates are calculated for pubs and hotels, alongside a call for evidence from landlords, brewers, hoteliers and other business owners. The review aims to improve fairness, transparency and predictability, following a planned 20% reduction in business rates for pubs, clubs and venues from April next year. The £100 million measure is expected to be funded partly by tougher action against businesses such as vape shops. Business rates specialist Jerry Schurder will lead the review and report by the end of March 2027, while further reforms, including small business rates relief, are expected in the autumn Budget.

Hackers linked to the Iranian regime reportedly infiltrated a small UK energy facility, forcing it to shut down for four days. Officials said the incident did not threaten the wider energy system and that the site was not critical infrastructure, but declined to identify it for national security reasons. The government subsequently advised power companies, while the National Cyber Security Centre warned UK organizations about possible spillover from Iran-linked cyber activity. NCSC chief executive Richard Horne said most significant recent attacks on UK critical infrastructure were linked to hostile states, including Iran, China and Russia.

HM Revenue and Customs plans to send valuation agents to homes across the UK to assess whether properties are worth more than £2 million and therefore subject to the High Value Council Tax Surcharge, commonly called the mansion tax. The levy is scheduled to begin in April 2028, with annual charges ranging from £2,500 to £7,500. Inspectors may demand entry to assess interiors, including property size, architectural style, bedrooms, bathrooms and storeys; refusal could result in a criminal offence and fines of up to £200. The tax is expected to affect about 165,000 homes in its first year, exceeding the original estimate of 120,000, although some homeowners are expected to successfully appeal.

The UK government is expected to propose giving regional mayors in 13 areas, including Greater Manchester, Liverpool and the West Midlands, powers to override local councils’ planning decisions for major developments. Mayors would be able to approve or reject large housing and commercial projects, grant developers permission to begin work upfront, influence the allocation of Homes England funding and impose infrastructure levies. The changes would apply to developments exceeding specified housing, commercial-space or height thresholds and would remain subject to local and national planning rules. The proposals have the backing of 10 of 14 devolved mayors and are intended to accelerate housebuilding as the government struggles to meet its target of 1.5 million homes in England, while developers face their weakest conditions since the 2008 financial crisis.

Prince Harry and six other claimants face potentially substantial legal costs after losing their phone-hacking and unlawful information-gathering claims against Associated Newspapers. The publisher’s costs are estimated at more than £34 million, while insurance covers £16.2 million, leaving uncertainty over how any shortfall will be divided. Associated Newspapers is seeking costs on an indemnity basis, which could increase the claimants’ liability, and experts expect the parties to try to settle rather than proceed to a lengthy final assessment.

Iceland supermarket has published a satirical cartoon criticizing management consultants and upper management for their role in the retailer's difficult early-2000s period. The cartoon references £16 million spent on external consultancy, including advice from PwC, and condemns restructuring, redundancies, management bonuses and outsourcing. The period followed Iceland's merger with Booker and the leadership of William Grimsey and William Hoskins after founder Malcolm Walker's departure. Company filings confirm that PwC and New Bridge Street Consultants advised the business, while PwC declined to comment.

Trainee lawyers and aspiring barristers are increasingly selling social-media advice and mentorship to candidates seeking training contracts, apprenticeships and pupillage. Critics including solicitor Paul Leamy, solicitor apprentice Finn Sprakes and barrister Ben Keith argue that the practice exploits applicants facing intense competition, creates an additional financial barrier and can involve misleading claims or low-quality AI-generated material. The UK recorded 27,150 law-course acceptances, but fewer than 3,000 training contracts were offered across 67 City firms, while only 53% of candidates passed the first SQE stage and roughly 500 pupillage places are available annually. Some law firms are reportedly beginning to disapprove of trainees monetising such advice.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority warned that senior solicitors who supervise junior staff may breach professional and regulatory duties when unchecked AI-generated material containing false citations or legal information is submitted to courts. Solicitors remain accountable for work performed under their supervision and for all AI outputs used in legal services. The warning follows criticism of Pinsent Masons after a junior solicitor sent false AI-generated letters to the High Court, prompting renewed concerns about excessive reliance on AI and inadequate oversight by senior lawyers.