Introduction and Background
· Continuing liability crisis in profession
o More active prov. sec. commissions
o Increased market volatility
o Idea of “deep pockets”
o Public accountant willingness to settle
o Complexity of business, accounting and auditing (business failure, audit failure, constraints of audit….)
· Problem greater in US
· Canada/US differences
o Jury trials
o Punitive damages
o Costs sanctions
o Class action lawsuits
o Canadian regulatory environment
o Court decisions
· Terminology and concepts
o Negligence; fraud
o Breach of contract; third-party beneficiary
o Privity of contract
o Common law; statutory law
o Prudent person concept
o Joint and several liability
o Lack of privilege
o Contributory negligence
o Management as client
o Shareholders as third parties
Sources of Liability
· Liability to clients
o Breach of contract
· Requires privity
· Use of engagement letter…
o Negligence
· Plaintiff must prove…
· Accountant must owe duty of care
· Accountant must have been negligent
· Plaintiff must show loss
· Causal connection between negligence and loss
o Negligence (continued…)
· Defendant strategies…
· Lack of duty
· Absence of misstatement
· Absence of negligence
o CICA HB Sec. 5090…
o Use of expert witnesses
· Contributory negligence
o Kane v. Coopers (fig. 4-6)
· No damages
· Lack of causal connection
· Liability to Third Parties under Common Law
o No breach of contract (lack of privity), but liability for negligence is evolving… Issue not settled…
o Ultramares doctrine, then
o “foreseeable third parties”
o Haig v. Bamford (fig 4-9) – lack of privity not valid defense….
o Then, Caparo v. Dickmans and Hercules v. Ernst restrict auditor liability
o Defenses here are the same as under liability to clients above
· Liability under Securities Legislation
o Canada - Ontario Securities Act
§ Misrepresentation in a prospectus
§ issue of privity is overcome by statute
o US – Securities Act of 1933
§ Registration statement for initial offerings
§ 3rd party plaintiff need only prove the existence of material misstatement
o US – Securities Exchange Act of 1934
§ Annual reports for listed companies
o US – FCPA
§ Internal control
Responses to Legal Liability
· Professions response….
· Individual practitioner response…
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:::: tHe fRienDLy kinDLy cHeeRy giRL ::::
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