Archive for the ‘PCAOB’ Category

Sarbanes-Oxley For Everyone: To Be Or Not To Be? (With Postscript)

By Francine • Nov 24th, 2009

Sarbanes-Oxley (SOx) made law what is best practice for all public companies or companies that issue public debt. That includes “smaller” companies.


@Going Concern “Can I Have Your Autograph?”

By Francine • Sep 30th, 2009

My new post is up @Going Concern.

“The PCAOB approved Auditing Standard No. 7, Engagement Quality Review on July 28, 2009. They also issued a Concept Release on requiring the engagement partner to sign the audit report.  The comment period closed September 11th and boy oh boy were there a lot of comments. The firms came [...]


McKenna in Accountancy Magazine

By Francine • Jul 7th, 2009

 I was asked by Accountancy Magazine in the UK to write a summary of the Compliance Week Annual Conference for their readers.  This article, entitled ”Regulatory Reformation,“ can be found here.  Please let me know what you think.


Looking Out For Me, Myself, And I

By Francine • Mar 15th, 2009

There is at least one person who doesn’t have to worry about having a good job, at KPMG no less. Thomas Ray was the Chief Auditor and Director of Professional Standards for the PCAOB.

According to WebCPA:

Ray is joining KPMG as a partner in the firm’s department of professional practice in New York.


Madoff and Blagojevich: Stealing – Easier When No One Is Watching

By Francine • Dec 15th, 2008

Both are accused of being corrupt.

One gentleman has been under a cloud of suspicion for a while.  He’s denied it and dared prosecutors to wiretap his conversations, to come and get him.  He hid his activities in plain site.  As visible as a major state Governor has to be, he also kept a low profile, [...]


PCAOB – Seeing The Big 4 Through Rose Colored Glasses

By Francine • Dec 12th, 2008

Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the AICPA National Conference on PCAOB and SEC Developments  in person.  As much as I would have loved to be there live, to ask questions and, perhaps, walk all over the wafflers with my Manolos, it’s not always possible.  In this case it may have been just as well. [...]


Hedge Funds And Their Auditors – It’s Good To Be Aggressive

By Francine • Nov 11th, 2008

Every once and a while someone asks me, 
“fm, how do you keep up with all the news, the stories?  How do you know all this stuff?”
Well…Although I have been accused of conceit, presumption, being “too smart,” being too quick to draw conclusions, painting a whole firm black on very little basis, precociousness, general egotistical behavior [...]


Here We Go Again – PCAOB Solicits Nominations for Standing Advisory Group

By Francine • May 6th, 2008

Picture Source
Those of you who have been reading the blog for a while know that I nominated myself for the Standing Advisory Group last year, and was not chosen.   I do not say rejected because, after feeling quite ignored, I later found a nice letter from Tom Ray in my mail, thanking me for [...]


ACAP -The Acronym Tells The Story

By Francine • Mar 18th, 2008

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On March 13, 2008, the U.S. Treasury Advisory Committee on the Auditing Profession (ACAP), co-chaired by former SEC Chairman Arthur Levitt, Jr. and former SEC Chief Accountant Don Nicolaisen, met to discuss the preliminary recommendations of its subcommittees on human capital, [audit] firm structure and finances, and concentration and competition.

Edith Orenstein was quick [...]


On Global Firms – More Where That Came From

By Francine • Mar 17th, 2008

Picture SourceThere were some very thoughtful comments to my post on Friday regarding the firms and their “global networks.”
A couple of questions for my commenters:
@Final Four Guy – I actually agree with your comments on this complex topic. But am curious where you think my comments are off base. As far [...]