Day 5 of One Month to Better Investigations and Reporting-the Board’s Investigation Protocol
Welcome to the latest edition of Fenwick’s Securities Law Update....more
Of course, it’s not just the SEC that will feel the impact of a new administration. Even quasi-regulators like the PCAOB are impacted. Hence, the PCAOB’s recent decision to put its pending rulemaking that would broaden the...more
One of the stated goals of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) is to preserve external audit quality. To further this priority, the PCAOB regularly invites public company audit committee chairs to have...more
The PCAOB has posted a 2023 audit committee resource that identifies a number of questions that audit committees may want “to consider amongst themselves or in discussions with their independent auditors, particularly given...more
The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) has had one of its busiest years in recent memory, including with respect to standard setting, inspections and enforcement. Below is a summary of notable developments that...more
The PCAOB recently released a new Audit Committee Resource, which sets forth an updated set of questions that audit committee members may want to consider incorporating into their ongoing engagement with auditors....more
Continuing his recent efforts at clarifying the views of the Office of the Chief Accountant (“OCA”) on various topics, in an October 11, 2022 statement Acting Chief Accountant Paul Munter emphasized the SEC’s focus on auditor...more
SEC adopts final pay-versus-performance rules In August 2022, the US Securities and Exchange Commission announced its adoption of final rules requiring public companies to disclose information regarding the relationship...more
The PCAOB recently released a new Audit Committee Resource, which sets forth questions that audit committee members may want to consider incorporating into their ongoing engagement with auditors. The categories of questions...more
Since 2019, as part of its strategy of enhancing transparency and accessibility through proactive stakeholder engagement, the PCAOB has been engaging with audit committee chairs at U.S. public companies that have had audits...more
The PCAOB recently published its “Spotlight: 2021 Conversations with Audit Committee Chairs” which presents high-level observations and key takeaways from conversations between the PCAOB and 240 audit committee chairs at U.S....more
One of the hottest going-public trends in 2020 and 2021 has been the rise of SPACs - Special Purpose Acquisition Companies - as a vehicle for private companies to go public. SPACs are shell companies that are formed, funded...more
The PCAOB has released a publication captioned “Audit Committee Resource: 2021 Inspections Outlook.” The purpose of the three-page publication is to assist audit committees in engaging in informed dialogue with their...more
On March 31, 2021, the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance and Acting Chief Accountant issued separate public statements concerning Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (“SPACs”). In these recent statements, the SEC is...more
In December 2019, as part of its strategy of enhancing transparency and accessibility through proactive stakeholder engagement, the PCAOB launched an effort to engage with audit committees, conducting conversations with...more
With 2021 now upon us, companies, auditors and audit committees are gearing up for another annual reporting season, coming off of one of the more turbulent years in recent history, which included a significant number of...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
In October 2017, the SEC approved the PCAOB’s proposed new auditing standard for the auditor’s report, which requires auditors to include a discussion of “critical audit matters,” know colloquially as “CAMs.” CAMs are...more
Last week, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board shared additional insights regarding its latest conversations with audit committee chairs – Conversations with Audit Committee Chairs: COVID-19 and the Audit (the...more
In December 2019, as part of its strategy of enhancing transparency and accessibility through proactive stakeholder engagement, the PCAOB conducted conversations with almost 400 audit committee chairs, focused on audit...more
As the COVID-19 pandemic and the measures taken to prevent the spread of the disease continue to affect public companies, the staff of the Office of Chief Accountant and the Division of Corporation Finance of the U.S....more
The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) recently published guidance for auditors on the accounting treatment of cryptoassets, including Bitcoin. The PCAOB guidance highlights considerations for addressing...more
According to a White House budget issued on February 10, 2020, the White House is considering transferring the authority of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB or Board) to the SEC by 2022 in order to...more
In its proposed budget for 2021, the White House called for the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board’s (“PCAOB”) “functions and responsibilities” to be consolidated into the SEC. According to the administration, having...more
Just before the new year, top leadership of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) provided guidance to public company audit committees as to those areas that they believe need special focus during the upcoming...more