For over three decades we have specialised in providing advice to accountancy firms. We provide dispute resolution, regulatory, and advisory services to most of the leading 30 accountancy practices in the UK, including the Big Four. Over the past 12 months we have been involved in some of the most high profile matters in this sector.

Dispute Resolution

Our contentious experience varies from defending firms sued in multi-million pound audit, consulting and tax negligence claims, to disputes involving the full range of advisory, valuation, and insolvency services provided by firms of accountants. We have unrivalled experience in dealing with accountants' professional liability and our expertise is recognised year after year as the leading practice in this field by legal publications such as Chambers & Partners and Legal 500.

Disciplinary and Regulatory

We have extensive expertise acting for firms and individuals under enquiry both at ICAEW and AADB level. We acted on the successful defence of the Mayflower AADB complaint (the first AADB tribunal hearing) and have been involved in many of the large JDS cases concluded over the last decade. 

We advise on regulatory issues involving accountants, including enquiries by DTI Inspectors, the SFO, HMRC, the FSA, Lloyd’s, and the SEC.

Advisory

We also undertake a range of non-contentious instructions for the accountancy profession with particular emphasis on risk management and insurance solutions, for the largest international networks as well as for smaller firms. We advise on matters including:

• risk management implications for global professional service networks;
• insurance and reinsurance solutions for captive insurers, under different legal and regulatory regimes;
• limitation of liability;
• contractual negotiations including IT projects and outsourcing; and 
• employment and partnership issues.

Recent experience includes:

• Stone & Rolls v Moore Stephens;
• Charter v City Index;
• The Mayflower AADB Investigation;
• Akai Group v Ernst & Young Hong Kong;
• The Equitable Life Assurance Society v Ernst & Young;
• Barings v Coopers & Lybrand;
• Sir Elton John and others v Price Waterhouse and others; and 
• acting for a large Practice in the defence of a £30m claim by 73 investors in a film finance scheme.