Articles by Ellen Milligan and Hugo Miller

From Enron to Wirecard – Big 4 Accounting Firms Still Face Systemic Problems

Two decades of financial disasters from Enron Inc.’s collapse in 2001 to Wirecard AG’s meltdown have left the Big Four accounting firms facing a major cultural problem that regulators may struggle to resolve. The 1.9 billion euros ($2.1 billion) missing …

Two UK Court Rulings Limit Corporate Responsibility for Employee Conduct

UK companies may let out a “sigh of relief” after Barclays Plc and Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc won a pair of Supreme Court cases that drastically limit corporate responsibility for employee conduct. First, the court said Morrisons wasn’t responsible for …

Shell Units Sued in U.K. over Massive Nigerian Oil Spill in 2011

Two Royal Dutch Shell Plc units were sued over their involvement in one of the largest oil spills in Nigeria’s history. Shell Nigeria Exploration & Production Co. and Shell International Trading & Shipping Co. allegedly undermined the emergency response to …

Google Faces $3.9B iPhone Privacy Lawsuit After London Court Reinstates Case

A U.K. lawsuit filed against Google by millions of iPhone users over data-collection claims was given the go-ahead by London appeals judges who overturned an earlier ruling that had thrown out the case. The group, known as Google You Owe …

Companies Still Learning About Fire Risks Around Robots

The Andover fire brigade was alerted at 2.34 a.m. About 2 miles across town, a fire had broken out in the early hours of Feb. 5 at a state-of-the-art Ocado Group Plc warehouse. Within minutes, firefighters were tackling a blaze …

UK Online Grocer Ocado Learns Lessons About Robotic Warehouses After Massive Fire

The Andover fire brigade was alerted at 2.34 a.m. About 2 miles across town, a fire had broken out in the early hours of Feb. 5 at a state-of-the-art Ocado Group Plc warehouse. Within minutes, firefighters were tackling a blaze …

UK’s Ocado Expects Total Loss of $58M Distribution Center After Huge Fire

One of Ocado Group Plc’s largest U.K. warehouses is expected to be completely destroyed by a fire, constraining the online grocer’s ability to meet customer demand and cutting sales growth. The blaze began Tuesday morning in the 45-million pound ($58 …

Accounting Fraud Pushes UK’s Patisserie Valerie into Insolvency

U.K. entrepreneur Luke Johnson’s efforts to save Patisserie Valerie failed as an accounting scandal pushed the bakery chain’s parent into insolvency, threatening as many as 2,800 jobs on Britain’s beleaguered shopping streets. Patisserie Holdings Plc appointed KPMG as administrator after …