Auditor's Letter Handbook

Book excerpt: The Second Edition of this best-selling ABA guide contains the original 1975 Statement of Policy Regarding Lawyers' Responses to Auditors' Requests for Information. Much has changed since the American Bar Association Statement of Policy Regarding Lawyers' Responses to Auditors' Requests for Information ("the ABA Statement") and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants' ("AICPA") related Statement of Auditing Standards No. 12 ("SAS 12") were approved in December 1975 and January 1976, respectively. There has been an increased emphasis on the quality of loss contingency disclosure, an expansion of private litigation and SEC enforcement actions against accountants and other professionals, and a new regulatory regime for the accounting profession established by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Despite these changes, the ABA Statement has stood the test of time and shown its flexibility to adapt to meet changing circumstances. Another development since the ABA Statement was approved has been the increasing relevance of international accounting and auditing standards and the expansion of cross-border practice by law firms. International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") adopted by the International Accounting Standards Board have become the accounting standards in many countries throughout the world other than the United States. Canada, for example, recently converted to IFRS for publicly traded companies. This resource is a must-have for inside and outside counsel in dealing with the auditor's need for corroboration of information furnished by management concerning litigation, claims, and assessments. It comprises a consolidated presentation of the principal official pronouncements and unofficial commentaries on the subject of audit inquiries and lawyers' responses. This book is published by the Audit Responses Committee of the ABA Business Law Section.