The Acting Chief Accountant of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Paul Munter, recently released a statement regarding critical points to consider when contemplating an audit firm restructuring. In recent years, audit...more
SEC Acting Chief Accountant Paul Munter re-emphasized the SEC’s focus on auditor independence in his June 8 statement on “The Critical Importance of the General Standard of Auditor Independence and an Ethical Culture for the...more
REGULATORY UPDATES - SEC Proposes Conditional Exemption for Finders Assisting Small Businesses with Capital Raising - On October 7, 2020, the Securities Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) proposed a conditional exemption...more
The SEC recently updated its auditor independence rule in light of current market conditions and industry practice. The amendments, which were adopted over the dissenting votes of two Commissioners, relax a number of the...more
The Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) recently adopted final amendments to the auditor independence requirements set forth in Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X. The SEC stated that the final amendments were based on...more
On Oct. 16, 2020, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted final rules amending the auditor independence requirements of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X. The SEC noted that amendments to the auditor...more
On December 30, 2019, the SEC proposed amendments to Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X, which sets forth the qualifications and independence standards for public company auditors, in order to carve out certain fact patterns...more
On December 30, 2019, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that it was proposing several amendments to "codify certain staff consultations and modernize certain aspects of its auditor independence...more
Last week, the SEC announced settled charges against PwC and one of its audit partners for violations of the auditor independence rules. As described in the Order, the violations included “performing prohibited non-audit...more
The SEC announced settlements with an auditing firm (the “Firm”) and one of its partners relating to violations of certain auditor independence rules involving nineteen audit engagements with fifteen SEC-registrant issuers. ...more
The SEC’s Office of Chief Accountant has updated its FAQs regarding auditor independence. The new and revised questions relate to the general standard for independence, prohibited non-audit services, partner rotation,...more
On June 18, 2019, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") adopted amendments to Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X, which sets forth the SEC's auditor independence standards, changing the analysis of whether an audit firm...more
In response to audit firm requests for guidance and a number of deficiencies identified during the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board’s audit firm inspections process, the PCAOB has recently released new Staff Guidance...more
On June 18, 2019, the SEC adopted final amendments (the “Amendments”) to the auditor independence rules set forth in Rule 2-01(c)(1)(ii)(A) of Regulation S-X (the “Loan Rule”). The Loan Rule identifies debtor-creditor...more
The SEC has adopted final amendments to the auditor independence rules relating to lending relationships between the auditor and an audit client or certain shareholders of the audit client. As noted in the press release, the...more
REGULATORY UPDATES - U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) Proposes Rule Change to Address Auditor Independence - On May 3, 2018, the SEC proposed to amend its auditor independence rule, Rule 2-01 of...more
On June 28, 2018, the Securities and Exchange Commission issued a release amending the definition of “smaller reporting company” (“SRC”) to expand the number of reporting companies eligible for relaxed or scaled disclosure....more
Summary - On May 2, 2018, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) proposed amendments to part of the SEC’s auditor independence rules, Rule 2-01(c)(1)(ii)(A) of Regulation S-X, otherwise known as the “Loan Rule”...more
SEC Proposes Amendments to Auditor Independence Rules to Address Certain Lending Relationships - Summary - On May 2, 2018, the SEC issued proposed amendments to its auditor independence rules concerning the...more
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) voted unanimously on May 2, 2018 to propose amendments to Rule 2-01(c)(1)(ii)(A) under Regulation S-X – the so-called “Loan Provision” (Proposal). Generally, the Loan...more
The SEC has posted a new rule proposal that would modify the analysis of auditor independence in the context of lending relationships between the auditor and certain shareholders of an audit client during the audit or...more
Under the current rules of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), foreign issuers are allowed to use International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) financial statements in their registration statements and...more
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Investment Management (SEC Staff) on September 22, 2017 extended indefinitely the effectiveness of no-action relief granted a year earlier with respect to the...more
On August 7, 2017, the SEC’s Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (OCIE) issued a Risk Alert providing a summary of the staff’s observations from sweep exams of broker-dealers, investment advisers and funds...more
The SEC this week issued cease-and-desist orders against eight auditors, fining them $140,000 collectively, for violating auditor independence rules by preparing the very broker-dealer financials they were to audit....more