Allen & Overy's consultancy arm is advising on an assessment of KPMG's audit practice by industry regulator the Financial Reporting Council, amid increased scrutiny of the Big Four accountancy giants.

The Magic Circle firm's regulatory consulting business is advising the FRC with a team led by Sally Dewar – a former corporate finance accountant at KPMG. She joined A&O as head of the firm's consulting and regulatory advisory practice when it launched the arm last year.

Commenting on the mandate, Dewar, who is CEO of A&O Consulting, said: "We're seeing increased demand for advisers with in-depth legal and technical insight, together with the ability to deliver tailored business outcomes. The scope and scale of our offering enables us to do this and is proving to be a successful combination."