Herbert Smith Freehills to merge with US-based law firm Kramer Levin

Shares in Google's parent company Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) surged 5.5% following the announcement of Gemini 2.0, a new family of AI large language models. This launch signals Google's entrance into the "agentic era" of AI, with promises of improved multitasking, reasoning, and problem-solving capabilities across various services. Market optimism and potential regulatory changes make now a favorable time to consider investing in Google shares. Full Article

In Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free, Roula Khalaf selects her favorite stories, including Dominic Cummings' vindication by Keir Starmer's alignment with Tory predecessors on civil service failures and planning reforms, highlighting areas of consensus between Labour and the Tories. Despite shared goals, the challenge lies in delivering reforms effectively, as seen in the slow progress and lack of confidence in Starmer's ability to take on the political machine and drive change through, potentially leading...

ServiceTitan, founded by Vahe Kuzoyan and Ara Mahdessian, priced its IPO at $71 a share, raising almost $625 million and valuing the company at $6.3 billion. The cloud software provider for contractors is set to debut on the Nasdaq under ticker symbol "TTAN," with top shareholders including Bessemer Venture Partners, TPG, and Iconiq. ServiceTitan's software helps with marketing, sales, scheduling, and customer service, with preliminary results showing a net loss of $47 million on $198.5...

Shares of Oxford Industries dropped in after-hours trading following the company's decision to lower its full-year forecast due to the impact of hurricanes Milton and Helene on its primary market, the Southeast U.S. The maker of popular clothing brands like Tommy Bahama and Lilly Pulitzer cited the severe weather conditions in the region as a key factor affecting its financial outlook. Full Article

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, full-time workers spent an average of 8.49 hours per day at work in 2023. A study by Hennessey Digital analyzed Glassdoor data to identify companies with the best work-life balance, ranking LinkedIn as the top employer with a 4.32 out of 5 rating. Other companies in the top 10 list included Indeed, Docusign, Slalom, and HubSpot, all receiving high ratings for work-life balance on Glassdoor. Full Article

Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, curates her top stories in the Unlock the Editor’s Digest, a weekly newsletter. More than 10,000 UK civil service jobs are set to be cut in a bid to achieve savings of 5 per cent across departments, with ministers considering voluntary redundancy programs. The spending review led by chancellor Rachel Reeves aims to reduce the overall civil service headcount, emphasizing productivity gains and the use of AI to streamline...