The airline boss with a hit list of 12 bid targets in his desk drawer September 13, 2010 It is clear that British Airways (BA) chief executive Willie Walsh always likes to keep his foot hard on the pedal. The Dublin-born airline boss is in the middle of a bitter 18-month dispute with his cabin crew, and only a few weeks ago received US and European regulatory clearance to pursue a transatlantic tie-up [...]
The airline boss with a hit list of 12 bid targets in his desk drawer September 13, 2010 It is clear that British Airways (BA) chief executive Willie Walsh always likes to keep his foot hard on the pedal. The Dublin-born airline boss is in the middle of a bitter 18-month dispute with his cabin crew, and only a few weeks ago received US and European regulatory clearance to pursue a transatlantic tie-up [...]
City men should think of pre-nups July 14, 2010 PARTNER, MISHCON DE REYA A DECADE ago this October, English divorce law was revolutionised by the case of White v White. Firstly, it recognised the non-financial contributions of the wife, and secondly it said that the default position when dividing assets at the end of a marriage should be to share them equally. Given this [...]
When divorcees turn private detective February 1, 2010 TWO recent, high-profile divorce cases have highlighted long running issue of what are the acceptable lengths a party can go to when they are convinced that their ex is hiding or undervaluing assets which they believe should be part of a divorce settlement. The first involves the chef Marco Pierre White, who has been given [...]
Era of cheap money is gone forever February 16, 2010 THERE is one, overwhelming reason why interest rates are going up on products such as credit cards, even though the Bank of England’s base rate remains very low. It has nothing to do with greed, bonuses, rip-off Britain or conspiracy theories – and all to do with the costs associated with the massive amounts of [...]
Pressure back on Pru as AIA gets new boss July 19, 2010 AMERICAN International Group (AIG)’s hiring of Mark Tucker to run its Asian arm piles pressure on Prudential to realise value from its Far Eastern operation, analysts argue. Mark Tucker, a former chief executive of Prudential, will take over from Mark Wilson at the head of American International Assurance (AIA) before its Hong Kong flotation in [...]
Pack a tax plan if you want a retirement on the beach September 2, 2010 IF YOU are tempted to spend your golden years in the sun and escape overcrowded, polluted London, you are not alone. Emigration from the UK reached a record high in 2008 and that was before the introduction of a 50 per cent higher tax rate and the impending austerity measures. But planning is essential if [...]
Lurking behind the financial crisis: the Fed puppeteer and the trader September 27, 2010 I WANTED it to be like that Quentin Tarantino movie: every person should come away with a different picture. I wanted to almost do it with no judgment.” Andrew Ross Sorkin is in London for the Samuel L Johnson literary awards after Too Big To Fail, his best-selling account of the financial crisis, was short-listed [...]
THE CITY’S GOT TALENT: THE HUNKIEST GENTS IN FINANCE August 9, 2010 ANTHONY ASTBURY, GFI GROUP Environmental markets broker Anthony takes the crown in the second annual round-up of the City’s hunkiest gents, voted for by your good selves and judged by a panel of terribly dedicated City A.M.ers. A keen sportsman, who boxes, skis and plays football when he’s not jetting around Europe meeting clients, Anthony [...]
Our tax code needs a total overhaul July 19, 2010 LET us hope the coalition is serious about tax simplification. Britain’s taxes are not only far too high; they are also extraordinarily complicated. I was recently talking to a very senior tax lawyer who admitted to me that no single person understands more than a small proportion of our tax code. His views were all [...]