Ted Baker, Business Optimism & More…Keep up with the latest accountancy and finance news in our weekly news round-up…

M&C Saatchi merges with sister agency Lida after accounting crisis

M&C Saatchi announced it will absorb sister marketing agency Lida, as the troubled advertising firm looks to recover from a catastrophic accounting crisis.

Deloitte Partner sacked for ‘bullying’ gets £125,000 legal bill

A former Deloitte Partner dismissed for ‘bullying’ staff and charging a client for a trip to the Singapore Grand Prix has lost his challenge in London’s High Court.

KPMG UK’s most senior woman quits the firm after two decades

KPMG UK’s most senior female partner and deputy chair has quit the Big Four accounting firm after two decades.

RSM removes top management after accounting error

Mid-tier audit firm RSM has been forced to overhaul its executive team following the discovery of errors in the way in which it accounted for professional liability claims provisions going back several years.

Ted Baker appoints Deloitte to probe multi-million stock overstatement

Troubled fashion retailer Ted Baker has drafted in investigators from Deloitte to probe an accounting mishap that saw it overstate the value of its stock by up to £25 million.

Travel software firm Datalex appoints Deloitte as auditor

Datalex, the travel software company caught in controversy over accounting irregularities, has appointed Deloitte as its new auditor.

KPMG, PwC, EY to put $9bn toward AI, data tech

The largest accounting firms – EY, Deloitte, KPMG and PwC – are investing billions of dollars in artificial intelligence and data technology products to change the industry in new ways, according to a report by Bloomberg Tax.