News Article - 19 November 2007
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The Big Four are back in the top ten of UK consulting fee earners, according to new figures.

Accountancy Age reports that PricewaterhouseCoopers saw an annual growth rate in the UK of 25 per cent, Ernst & Young grew 14 per cent, KPMG 11 per cent and Deloitte ten per cent.

KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Ernst & Young claim they are implementing new strategies providing a range of services from actuarial skills to tax, the Financial Times reports.

Aidan Brennan, head of the advisory business at KPMG Europe, said: "Now we're working with our clients to figure out what is the best business solution for them. The market is saying we want advice independent of the solution - there's been a real demand for us to provide that."

The newspaper reports that following scrutiny by US regulators over the Big Four's monopoly of the industry, three of the four firms sold their consultancy businesses in order to pass non-compete agreements.

Meanwhile, managing partner at BDO Stoy Hayward Jeremy Newman, who was recently appointed head of BDO International and will take up the role next year, told the newspaper that his firm will challenge the Big Four's dominance in the audit industry.

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