Looming EU referendum is slowing M&A activity – and a Brexit could make UK less attractive for deals March 4, 2016 The looming EU referendum is slowing M&A activity – and a Brexit could make the country "less attractive", experts have warned. Last year, there were record levels of global activity in M&A, with an estimated $4.78 trillion worth of deals announced. But despite high-profile activity around Home Retail Group and the London Stock Exchange, Clifford Chance corporate partner Patrick [...]
City Moves for 21 January 2016 | Who’s switching jobs January 21, 2016 Akin Gump International law firm Akin Gump has announced that Hamish Lal has joined the firm as a partner in its international arbitration practice in London. Hamish, who focuses on international construction arbitration in the oil, gas, nuclear, major projects and infrastructure sectors, joins Akin Gump from Jones Day. Hamish’s practice covers international construction arbitration [...]
Executive pay: BP pay gusher reignites shareholder rows, but new research shows that average pay growth for chief executives has slowed down to below national average April 13, 2016 BP shareholders will vote on a near $20m pay package for the oil major's chief executive tomorrow, reigniting the row over boardoom pay despite greater restraint being shown by many FTSE companies. The pay deal, if approved, would see BP chief executive Bob Dudley take home $19.6m (£13.8m) – a hefty 19.7 per cent pay [...]
BBVA shakes up fintech venture fund, spinning out into independent Propel Ventures, doubling fund and setting up London office February 11, 2016 Spanish bank BBVA, which recently ploughed £45m into UK digital challenger bank Atom, has more than doubled its war chest for investing in fintech startups and will set up shop in London in a shake up of its venture investment strategy. The bank's $100m (£69m) fintech venture fund, which invests in European and US startups, will be upped to $250m [...]
Panmure Gordon chairman Ed Warner to leave the stock broker and investment bank February 17, 2016 Panmure Gordon is going to lose its non-executive chairman after Ed Warner today served notice of his intention to step down at the company's annual general meeting in May. Warner is leaving to "concentrate on his other business interests" and a search for his replacement is already underway. "A further announcement will be made in due [...]
End Austerity Now march will completely disrupt parts of the City around Bank and Mansion House, say City of London Police June 17, 2015 A major protest against austerity measures will take over central London this Saturday – and people are being warned to avoid certain parts of the capital as a result. The End Austerity Now march, which is being organised by the People's Assembly Against Austerity and supported by several unions and pressure groups, is expected [...]
City Moves for 22 March 2016 | Who’s switching jobs March 22, 2016 RPC Consulting RPC Consulting – the insurance consultancy arm of RPC – has appointed four senior insurance actuarial professionals to its team in London and Cambridge. Pete Lee, James Norman and Tony Lovick all worked at EMB (now Willis Towers Watson). Natasha Regan joins from the Financial Reporting Council (FRC). Pete has over 25 years’ [...]
Why this boutique investment bank sees positives no matter which way the EU referendum goes May 2, 2016 It's difficult to find many investment banks feeling cheery about 2016. Global first-quarter revenues dropped to their lowest levels since 2009. Banking giants have reported double-digital percentage profit falls. And thousands of jobs have been lost. But Zeus Capital, a boutique investment bank founded in 2002, offers a success story. Albeit while operating on a [...]
City Moves for 15 February 2016 | Who’s switching jobs February 15, 2016 RBC Martin Copeland (pictured) has joined RBC in London as head of oil and gas, reporting to Nick Taylor. Martin has 25 years of experience and joins RBC from Evercore where he co-founded the EMEA energy team and led a number of high profile oil and energy mandates. Prior to Evercore, his previous roles include [...]
The UK legal sector is vital to the City’s international success March 17, 2016 The City of London’s position as a world leader in finance and business is widely acknowledged. I know this only too well from my own work, both as an international commercial barrister and as the current chairman of the Bar of England and Wales. But the City is being challenged by other financial centres in [...]