Overview
Our lawyers have extensive experience in defending accounting firms and their professionals in a wide variety of US and international matters, including the following:
- Investigations and inquiries by the Divisions of Enforcement of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB)
- Investigations and prosecutions by US Department of Justice (DOJ), state attorneys general and district attorney offices
- Federal securities litigation, including claims under Sections 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Section 11 of the Securities Act of 1933
- Professional malpractice claims in various jurisdictions around the country
- Bankruptcy litigation
- Investigations and queries by state boards of public accountancy and regulators in non-US jurisdictions
In these representations, we have defended accountants who performed all types of professional services, including public and private audit services, tax compliance and consulting, and a range of other advisory and consulting services. Lawyers from our team have defended accounting firms in many of the most significant cases over the past couple of decades, including Bernie Madoff, Enron, Adelphia and Stanford.
We have represented firms located in the US and around the world, including in litigation and investigations on behalf of firms or their professionals located in Canada, Germany, Italy, Indonesia, Mexico, Brazil, Belgium, the Cayman Islands, Canada, Eastern Europe, Cyprus and Japan. In terms of our domestic experience and capabilities, we currently represent firms or their professionals in numerous states in the union.
In addition to litigation and governmental investigations, we are often called upon by accounting firms to advise them in connection with a variety of risk related matters, including section 10A investigations, restatement situations, employment matters, independence issues, PCAOB inspection and registration matters, state board reporting matters and other issues.
Our team includes individuals with experience in-house at the leading accounting firms and as certified public accountants, as well as in the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Divisions of Enforcement. Each of these individuals brings a valuable perspective to the representation of our clients.
