Assignment 2: Litigation, Censures, and Fines

Assignment 2: Litigation, Censures, and Fines

Due Week 7 and worth 280 points

Research the Internet for recent litigation, censures, and fines involving national public accounting firms.  Examples of litigation cases against national public accounting firms include fines by regulatory authorities and censures by professional societies.

Write a three to four (3-4) page paper in which you:

1. Analyze the primary accounting issues which form the crux of the litigation or fine for the firm, and indicate the impact to the firm as a result of litigation or fine. Provide support for your rationale.
2. Examine the key inferences of corporate ethics related to internal controls and accounting principles which lead to the litigation or fine for the accounting firm.
3. Evaluate the primary ethical standards of the accounting organization’s leadership and values which contributed to approval of the accounting issues and thus created the litigation or fines in question.
4. Identify specific conduct violations committed by the organization and accounting firm in question. Next, create an argument supporting the actions against the organization and accounting firm, based on the current professional code of conduct for independent auditors and management accountants.
5. Make a recommendation as to how regulators and professional societies may prevent this type of behavior in question for the future. Provide support for your rationale.
6. Use two (2) quality academic resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not qualify as academic resources.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
• Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Analyze business situations to determine the appropriateness of decision making in terms of professional standards and ethics.

• Use technology and information resources to research issues in accounting.

• Write clearly and concisely about accounting using proper writing mechanics.