Services | BakerHostetler

Handling matters that range from minor procedural and standards violations to allegations of intentional accounting misconduct, the Financial Investigations, Restatement and Accounting (FIRA) team combines the resources of seasoned financial litigators and trial attorneys, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) defense counsel, former practicing CPAs, and corporate disclosure and governance professionals to help companies, audit firms and their employees navigate their way through accounting-related special investigations, government inquiries and, when necessary, financial restatements.

Successfully represented senior management of Diebold Inc. in multiple federal and state proceedings concerning highly technical revenue recognition issues, disclosure and securities fraud in connection with a multibillion-dollar accounting restatement over a five-year period. Resolution resulted in court-approved dismissal of all fraud-related charges.
Successfully performed a comprehensive investigation for the audit committee and executive management of a global payment operator regarding compliance with federal financial regulations.
Successfully defended a major audit firm in multiple alleged civil audit failure cases related to audit processes and professional audit standards. The matters were dismissed outright or settled on favorable terms to the client.
Secured a verdict in favor of a Big Four accounting firm in a seven-week jury trial related to alleged noncompliance with audit standards.
Achieved a rare “no action” case termination by the SEC regarding alleged accounting-related allegations against a Fortune 50 company. Result was achieved without witness testimony.
Litigated SEC administrative proceeding against former division CFO alleging accounting misconduct. Effectively leveraged the expert testimony of former chief accountant of the SEC to nullify the Staff’s accounting position and to dismiss misconduct-related charges.
Defended the Chairman and CEO of a multibillion-dollar public company in an SEC investigation related to alleged revenue recognition, internal control and governance misconduct.
Conducted an internal investigation of revenue channel stuffing and accounting violations related to rebate programs promoted by an international healthcare products company, and drafted training guidelines for business and sales employees.
Conducted a revenue recognition-related investigation for a defense contractor in Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and the Ukraine to assess potential exposure.
Conducted an internal investigation of senior European technology company executives in connection with alleged accounting violations relating to prepayment provisions in customer contracts.
Represented the former officers of a major governmental financial institution under parallel investigations brought by multiple federal agencies, including the SEC, and related class action litigation following a $4.5 billion accounting restatement.