Uber taxi app could face fresh crackdown under a Labour government September 23, 2014 Taxi app Uber could face a much more hostile regulatory and tax regime if a Labour government is elected in 2015. Speaking at a fringe event hosted by the New Statesman at the Labour conference, shadow transport secretary Mary Creagh said her party would not tolerate "tax avoidance on a large scale" adding that Uber's [...]
Verdict finally in sight after four months of Pistorius murder trial July 7, 2014 LAWYERS for Oscar Pistorius could close their case as soon as today, marking a significant step towards a verdict in the Paralympic star’s high-profile murder trial. South African Pistorius shot girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp dead on Valentine’s Day last year but says he did so only after mistaking her for an intruder. Defence lawyer Barry Roux [...]
Saga dips toe into M&A waters with Destinology deal August 13, 2014 Saga, the over-50s specialist, yesterday made its first acquisition since floating earlier this year, buying a 75 per cent stake in online travel firm Destinology . The deal, believed to be worth £20m, comes in the wake of Saga’s listing on the London stock market in May. The purchase will be funded from existing [...]
Young people are turning to entrepreneurship – but the trend isn’t inevitable August 10, 2014 ENTREPRENEURSHIP is all the rage. Research released today by HSBC shows that nearly a quarter of young people starting university this autumn want to work for themselves when they graduate. Banker, lawyer and consultant are no longer the default options. This news won’t please everyone. Due to the conspicuous wealth of Silicon Valley’s have-yachts and [...]
How to handle being shown the door June 29, 2014 Whether you fight your corner or seek to reach a deal, it’s important to know your options. Here is a scenario: out of the blue, your newly-appointed boss gives you a “below expectations” rating at your mid-year appraisal. “Why the change from exceeds to below in the space of six months?” you cry. A pause [...]
Boris Johnson dismisses Uber as “excessively bumptious” August 5, 2014 London Mayor Boris Johnson has criticised the attitude of San-Fransico based firm Uber as "excessively bumptious." Johnson, speaking on LBC, added that he didn't like the way Uber were "moving into London and claiming they could take all this business away from black cabs." The company's rapid growth and penchant for innovation have clearly not conformed [...]
Seven London partners named at Linklaters April 7, 2014 MAGIC circle law firm Linklaters yesterday unveiled its latest round of promotions, making up seven new London partners among the 21 lawyers named. Capital markets lawyer Adam Fogarty, banking duo Nick Le Masurier and Kirsty Thomson and litigation specialist Alison Wilson will all become partners on 1 May, along with corporate lawyer Tracey Lochhead and [...]
Lawyers warn mid-tier European firms will be hit by reporting vote April 14, 2014 A CRUCIAL decision on non-financial reporting rules risks creating confusion and an uneven playing field across Europe, lawyers have warned. The European Commission is due to vote this week on changes to EU law that governs how non financial firms update investors, introducing mandatory reporting standards for all companies employing more than 500 staff. Though [...]
FDM is valued at £300m June 17, 2014 FDM, an IT support services group, yesterday completed a flotation that valued the company at a touch over £300m. The deal, which was advised on solely by Investec, sees the private equity group Inflexion selling its entire shareholding to raise £234.7m. Rowena Murray, who was part of the Investec team on the deal, said the [...]
What the other papers say this morning – 13 June 2014 June 12, 2014 FINANCIAL TIMES Corporate PC demand boosts Intel Intel has raised its profit guidance for the second quarter on the back of strong demand for business PCs, pushing shares up by more than five per cent in after-hours trading. Demand for the PCs – the market Intel’s chips dominate – is stabilising as companies begin to [...]