Professions

Consulting giant PwC has been suspended from two WA government procurement panels as fallout from its tax advice scandal continues but competitors KPMG and Deloitte face no such problems.

The nation’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose 0.2 percentage points to 3.7 per cent in July, but the figure for Western Australia bucked the trend.

Intellectual property group Wrays has appointed its first chief executive based outside Western Australia, recruiting former IP Australia deputy director general Paula Adamson to the role.

A landmark report commissioned by EY has found a litany of problems among its staff, with many feeling overworked and large numbers experiencing bullying and sexual harassment.

Perth corporate adviser Maurice Argento has sold his boutique consulting firm to Deloitte, marking the second time he has sold his business to one of the ‘big four’.

The official labour data has proved resilient but is expected to start responding to worsening domestic economic conditions later in the year.

As a parliamentary inquiry examines conflicts of interest in the consulting industry, Greens senator Barbara Pocock says firms are still not being honest.

Large consultancy firms should be broken up to reduce conflicts of interest, the former head of the consumer watchdog has told an inquiry.

Former WA treasurer Ben Wyatt has become an adviser to Australian Capital Equity, adding to the network of powerful individuals close to its chair Kerry Stokes.

South Perth accounting firm William Buck has announced its first leadership change in 37 years, with co-founder Mark Collins stepping down as managing director.

Allegro Funds has committed to invest $100 million in Scyne Advisory, the new public sector firm with about 130 former PwC partners, including at least six in WA.

The embattled firm will offload its state and federal consulting business to private equity group Allegro while an international PwC executive will take charge in Australia.

A call centre and debt collection company says it has been forced to make 440 employees redundant after losing a contract with a federal government agency.

A new report shows unleashing the power of skilled migrants and refugees could boost the Australian economy and fill workforce gaps.

Accountants who breach professional standards could be hit with fines five times bigger than before under a new proposed disciplinary framework from Australia’s industry body.

Menopause advocacy organisations want to destigmatise women’s health issues in the workplace.

Perth partner Justin Carroll has become interim chair of PwC Australia, which has directed nine partners to go on leave but resisted calls from the prime minister to name all partners involved in its tax scandal.

Leaders from some of Perth’s major professional services firms have seen big changes in their working lives over three decades.

The Iustini family, known for Technical Resources, has partnered with former Hunter executive search director Gregor McNally to expand the recruitment business to senior hires.

Law firm Thomson Geer has continued its rapid expansion in WA, recruiting an experienced corporate partner from Hong Kong and a special counsel from Allens.

Global insurance brokers Marsh and BMS Group have each expanded their WA presence, adding to a string of M&A deals by big players snapping up local operators.

A contractor who lost a decade-long dispute over a $26 million contract on an iron ore project in the Mid West has launched legal action against the firm that represented it.

Perth’s largest accounting firm has selected Tim Richards to succeed Michael McNulty, who has overseen rapid growth during his 10 years as office managing partner.

EY has halted the planned separation of its audit and consulting practices after divisions emerged over the proposed carve-up, particularly in the US.

Thomson Geer Lawyers has recruited a third partner this year after appointing Nicholas Creed to its banking and finance team in Perth.

Omni Bridgeway chief executive and managing director Andrew Saker is stepping down after eight years at the helm of the ASX-listed litigation funding business.

Another Perth builder has gone under, with administrators appointed to Metro Homes WA Pty Ltd, which also trades as Hamlen Homes.

Thomson Geer's Perth office has recruited two partners from HopgoodGanim in a bid to bolster the firm's mining and energy services offering.

Lower inflation numbers in the US this week give hope that price pressure is slowing, according to Pitcher Partners executive director Christian Golding.

Almost 50 per cent of employers reported an intention to hire staff in the first quarter of the new year, a ManpowerGroup report finds.

An anaesthetist, a surgeon and a gastroenterologist have led a $3 million deal to rescue a private hospital from administration.

Corporate adviser John Poynton and lawyers Aaron McDonald and Tim Hammond have teamed up to establish a dispute funding business targeting the Perth market.