Free Seminar Highlights Key Issues in Accountant Liability

BOSTON, June 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Some of the potential liability challenges faced by accountants are as old as the profession itself. But as the topics at a free seminar sponsored by LeClairRyan's Boston office amply illustrate, emerging issues in accountant liability often seem ripped right from today's headlines.

Topics at the June 17 seminar, which runs from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Westin Waltham, include explorations of liability issues that have emerged in the wake of the Bernard Madoff Ponzi-scheme scandal, as well as the collapse of Collateralized Debt Obligations during the sub-prime mortgage crisis. LeClairRyan attorneys and their peers will also explore hot topics in the rapidly changing field of employment law, and review key trends in accountant liability that emerged in 2010. Registration for the event, titled "Charting a New Course: New and Familiar Legal Directions on Accountant Liability," ends June 14.

"We have an exciting group of speakers and a highly relevant series of topics, many of which are at the leading edge of accountant liability," noted Nancy M. Reimer, a Boston-based attorney for LeClairRyan who routinely defends accountants against malpractice claims. "Larger economic and regulatory trends always have ripple effects on accountant liability. It is important to stay on top of these implications, which can affect everything from AICPA standards to client expectations."

Reimer, along with her fellow LeClairRyan attorneys Warren Hutchinson and Neil Hartzell, will discuss many of these emerging issues in a session entitled "The Rundown: Highlights of Accountant Liability Issues in 2010."

Other topics and speakers for the half-day seminar include:

• "Collateralized Debt Obligations & Accountant Liability" (James Messenger, LeClairRyan)
• "AICPA Statement on Standards for Valuation Services" (G. William Kennedy, PhD, Managing Director, FTI Consulting)
• "Hot Topics in Employment Law: What You & Your Clients Need to Know" (Daniel Blake, LeClairRyan)
• "Stock Option Values: What Survives Reviews" (Jaime d'Almeida, Director, Duff & Phelps)
• "Pitfalls of the Ponzi Scheme: How Not to Get 'Madoffed' " (Patrick Voke, LeClairRyan)
• "A View from the Board of Accountancy on: License Mobility, Enforcement, the Complaint Process, and Respondent 'Boot Camp': What to Do When the Public Complains" (Mark S. Robinson, Partner, Kirkland, Albrecht & Fredrickson, LLC, and Member, Massachusetts Board of Accountancy)

With seating limited, those wishing to register for the seminar should RSVP by June 14 to Janice Rainey, [email protected], 617.502.8223. CPAs wishing to earn continuing education Learning Units (LUs) for attendance at the seminar must provide a CPA membership number when registering. Continental breakfast will be provided.

For more information on LeClairRyan's Professional Liability Defense Practice, please visit www.leclairryan.com/professional-liability-defense.

About LeClairRyan

Founded in 1988, LeClairRyan provides business counsel and client representation in corporate law and high-stakes litigation. With offices in California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington, D.C., the firm has approximately 300 attorneys representing a wide variety of clients throughout the nation. For more information about LeClairRyan, visit www.leclairryan.com.

SOURCE LeClairRyan