Lobbying firm co-founded by Mandelson goes into administration
#Global Counsel #Peter Mandelson #Jeffrey Epstein #lobbying firm #administration #business collapse #client exodus
📌 Key Takeaways
- Global Counsel went into administration after clients cut ties due to Mandelson's Epstein connections
- The firm's collapse threatens 120 jobs and affects offices across multiple continents
- Epstein files revealed a 2010 meeting between co-founder Wegg-Prosser and the convicted sex offender
- Administrators cite 'monumental impact' on business from rapid client loss
📖 Full Retelling
Global Counsel, the lobbying firm co-founded by former British minister Lord Peter Mandelson and Benjamin Wegg-Prosser, has gone into administration in London on Friday following the exodus of major clients after revelations emerged about Mandelson's connections with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The collapse comes just weeks after Mandelson resigned from the board in 2024 and Wegg-Prosser stepped down as chief executive on February 6, with administrators citing the 'monumental impact' on the business. The firm, which advised high-profile clients including Shell, TikTok, and Barclays across its offices in Berlin, Brussels, Singapore, Washington DC and Doha, warned of 'a significant number of redundancies' as administrators took control. The Epstein files, recently published, revealed not only Mandelson's apparent links with the disgraced financier but also a meeting between Wegg-Prosser and Epstein in 2010, two years after Epstein's conviction for soliciting prostitution and a minor. Will Wright, UK chief executive of Interpath, stated that the 'rapid and sudden loss of clients over recent weeks' had devastated the business, while Steve Absolom expressed concern for the 'talented and loyal UK team' facing redundancy. Legal experts suggest the firm's customer book has quickly diminished due to the 'Mandelson stigma,' making it very difficult for any new business to recover the company's former standing.
🏷️ Themes
Business collapse, Political fallout, Reputation damage
📚 Related People & Topics
Peter Mandelson
British politician, lobbyist and diplomat (born 1953)
Peter Benjamin Mandelson, Baron Mandelson (born 21 October 1953) is a British former Labour Party politician, lobbyist and diplomat. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Hartlepool from 1992 to 2004. He served in Tony Blair and Gordon Brown's cabinets as Minister without portfolio, Secretary of ...
Jeffrey Epstein
American financier and child sex offender (1953–2019)
# Jeffrey Edward Epstein **Jeffrey Edward Epstein** (January 20, 1953 – August 10, 2019) was an American financier and convicted sex offender. He is notorious for orchestrating a massive human trafficking ring, procuring at least 1,000 underage girls and young women for sexual exploitation by himse...
Entity Intersection Graph
Connections for Peter Mandelson:
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Jeffrey Epstein
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Arrest
5 shared
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Flight Risk
3 shared
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Lindsay Hoyle
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House of Commons
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Original Source
Lobbying firm co-founded by Mandelson goes into administration 2 hours ago Share Save Jennifer Meierhans Business reporter Share Save Global Counsel, the lobbying firm co-founded by Peter Mandelson, has gone into administration. It comes after leading clients cut ties with the company after details emerged of Lord Mandelson's apparent links with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. This had a "monumental impact on the business" and left its directors with "no option", administrator Interpath said in a statement on Friday. A senior source said the company's collapse was a "total nightmare and unfair", adding it risked the loss of 120 jobs. Global Counsel had warned on Thursday there would be "a significant number of redundancies being made by the administrators when they take control of the company". The lobbying firm was set up by Lord Mandelson and Benjamin Wegg-Prosser after Labour lost the 2010 general election. It advised high-profile clients such as Shell, TikTok and Barclays and has offices in Berlin, Brussels, Singapore, Washington DC and Doha. Lord Mandelson resigned from the board of Global Counsel in 2024, though he remained a shareholder until earlier this month. His co-founder, Wegg-Prosser, stepped down as chief executive on 6 February. The firm's future was thrown into doubt following the publication of documents from the Epstein files, which cast light on Lord Mandelson's links with the disgraced financier. The files also contained mentions of a meeting between Wegg-Prosser and Epstein in 2010, two years after the latter's conviction for soliciting prostitution and soliciting a minor. Epstein died in New York in 2019, while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. 'Monumental impact' Will Wright, UK chief executive of Interpath, said: "The rapid and sudden loss of clients over recent weeks has had a monumental impact on the business". It has ceased trading while administrators "undertake a detailed review of the company's assets and liabiliti...
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