Facing a Complaint, Claim, Disciplinary Procedure or CEA Investigation? Our Accountants' Defence Service is Designed to Help You if so.
You may need accountants’ defence if a client has made a complaint about you or threatened to make a claim against your professional indemnity insurance, if you are facing a disciplinary procedure from your institute or a query from the CEA.
This can be a lonely and isolating situation for any accountant to find themselves in, with the professional body you normally turn to in times of difficulty being the last place you feel you can look to for support.
For most practitioners, it is a case of heading into the unknown. However, ignoring the problem or acting without the right advice is likely to only compound your situation. Unless handled correctly, your reputation, your career and, indeed, your livelihood, could be at risk.
Anti-Money-Laundering Compliance Review
Are You Prepared for an Increased Focus on Anti-Money-Laundering Compliance?
The Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Acts 2010 and 2013 place increased responsibilities on accountants for customer due diligence, scrutiny and reporting as an anti-money-laundering compliance measure aiming to prevent and detect money laundering and terrorist financing activities. A breach of the legislation by an accountant can, on conviction, result in a fine, imprisonment or both.
Monitoring compliance with anti-money-laundering (AML) legislation has formed part of the various institute’s quality assurance regimes for some time. However, this area is set to receive increased attention because of a recent National Risk Assessment, published by the Department of Justice and Equality, which judged the sectoral risk for accountancy service providers in Ireland to be medium-high.
In response, the regulatory bodies are being required to complete detailed annual anti-money-laundering returns and are placing increased emphasis on their AML supervisory regimes.
Don’t face the these challenges alone. Get expert support from out Accountants’ Defence Service today and protect your reputation, career, and livelihood. Get in contact with us today and let us navigate the complexities while guiding you towards a successful outcome.
How Does Accountants’ Defence Work
We can advise to assist on preventing client grievances from escalating, and we can advise on your approach and communications with insurers.
Through our detailed understanding of the professional standards for accountants and how they are governed through specialist law and extensive regulations across institutes and enforcement bodies, we can help you formulate an effective response to investigations.
Our team is led by accountants who have previously worked with the institute’s own review and disciplinary teams, so we understand the processes from the inside out. If you have to appear before a regulatory, disciplinary or appeal committees, we can provide you with legal representation from our specialist barrister, who is a leader in this area.
We will approach the situation from your side, with your best interests central to our concerns. That's how accountants' defence works.
The Cost of Failing to Act
If you find yourself facing a complaint, claim or a referral to a disciplinary committee, don’t put your head in the sand or try to resolve the situation yourself.
The cost to a firm of time lost and penalties incurred can start anywhere from €10,000 upwards. Our team can help you formulate a response to achieve the best outcome, minimising potential damage.
Our approach is to work closely with you on a consistent basis.
If a client makes a complaint to you, we can:
- Advise you, before a complaint is made to your professional body
- Assess the correspondence from the complainant and, where relevant, your institute
- Correspond with the regulating institute, where appropriate
- Provide guidance on possible sanctions or outcomes
- Assist in the preparation of your response
- Advise on the ramifications of accepting a consent order or a committee finding
If there is a claim against your PI, we can
- Advise you, before a complaint is made to your professional body
- Assess the correspondence from the complainant and, where relevant, your institute
- Correspond with the regulating institute, where appropriate
- Provide guidance on possible sanctions or outcomes
- Assist in the preparation of your response
- Advise on the ramifications of accepting a consent order or a committee finding
If you are facing a disciplinary hearing or tribunal, we can
- Help with interpreting the rules and regulations of your regulating institute
- Advise on possible sanctions and outcomes
- Assist with an action plan where remedial action is required
- Prepare information and guidance for your own legal advisers
- Provide legal representation before regulatory, disciplinary and appeal committees
- Engage an expert to give evidence, if required
- Provide representation by experienced counsel, where a disciplinary case is defended
If you have received a query from the CEA, we can
- Review the documentation and correspondence from the CEA and the underlying file evidence
- Help you assess the cause of the issue and consider likely courses of action and options
- Assist you in preparing your response to the CEA