Nicola Horlick’s hubby eyes up the big screen January 20, 2014 FUND manager and so-called “superwoman” Nicola Horlick has been investing in films for a few years now but it seems she’s not the only one in the house with a taste for the movies. Her husband, an ex-financial journo turned fiction writer, Martin Baker, is edging to take a slice of the film world too. [...]
Inside Track: Bankers wait for pay to rise as bonuses come down January 16, 2014 There’s an episode in John Lanchester’s book, Capital, when the investment banker character Roger fears his bonus will be the same as his annual salary, £150,000. “In practical terms, that would be the same as being dragged out of the office and finished off with a bullet in the back of the neck,” the author [...]
UK’s top law firms grow profits amid consolidation in the sector September 1, 2013 THE UK’s 100 largest law firms made combined profits of £5.8bn in 2012-13, according to new data, an eight per cent increase on the previous year amid a flurry of M&A activity among the sector. Research out this week from Legal Business magazine also shows that the top segment of the UK’s legal market billed [...]
Rihanna wins ruling against Topshop in t-shirt battle July 31, 2013 Popstar Rihanna has won her case against Topshop owner Arcadia for using an image of her on a range of tops in 2011 and 2012 without her permission. Rihanna said that the fashion store was attempting to pass off the t-shirts as officially approved by the singer, a claim which Topshop disputed. Mr Justice Birss: [...]
What the other papers say this morning November 26, 2012 FINANCIAL TIMES Intrade to cut off bets from US Intrade, the leading prediction market for bets on events from elections to box-office receipts, said it would cut off US customers next month in the face of a regulator’s lawsuit. The Dublin-based online marketplace was regularly cited as a barometer of the fluctuating odds of the [...]
UK shareholders are set to rise in activist autumn June 10, 2012 SHAREHOLDER activism is one of this year’s biggest business stories, as the recent public disputes over executive pay attest. But this is just the beginning. The conditions are ripe for the shareholder spring to turn into an activist autumn. Where does shareholder activism go from here? The debate on executive pay will now focus on [...]
KEY PLAYERS IN COURTROOM DRAMA May 9, 2012 MARTIN BLESSING CHIEF EXECUTIVE, COMMERZBANK Cutting bonuses was the “right thing” to do, Blessing told the High Court, saying the handling of 9,000 job cuts was a greater concern. Bonus promises were not a “binding commitment”, he said. Blessing added: “If I promise my wife to be home at 8pm for dinner and come in [...]
KEY PLAYERS IN COURTROOM DRAMA May 9, 2012 MARTIN BLESSING CHIEF EXECUTIVE, COMMERZBANK Cutting bonuses was the “right thing” to do, Blessing told the High Court, saying the handling of 9,000 job cuts was a greater concern. Bonus promises were not a “binding commitment”, he said. Blessing added: “If I promise my wife to be home at 8pm for dinner and come in [...]
Democracy is in: Here comes the activist investor November 23, 2011 SOME of this year’s biggest news stories, such as the Arab Spring and the Occupy movements in London and New York, have a common underlying narrative. “The many” are unhappy about the actions of “the few”. Democracy is in vogue. A similar narrative is emerging from some of the biggest business stories of the year. [...]
UK law firm revenues top £15bn in 2011 August 31, 2011 AFTER a bleak couple of years for the UK’s legal sector, revenues at the country’s biggest law firms are looking far healthier this year, as the most successful firms look to international markets and strategic mergers to grow profits. Total revenues at the top 100 law firms in the UK rose by 13 per cent [...]