Happy Forvis Day!
It’s official: Today’s the day BKD and DHG become Forvis. Today is a historic day as we begin serving clients as a top 10 professional services firm. Learn more from @FORVIS CEO Tom Watson and Chair Matt Snow: https://t.co/t5IW0BU97b pic.twitter.com/JcFMcz5xLD — FORVIS (@FORVIS) June 1, 2022 We hope everyone at Forvis has a great day […]
Let’s Mesh Other Business Buzzwords to Form the Next Big Accounting Firm Name
First off, I want to thank those of you who reached out to us on Wednesday about Forvis being the new name of the combined BKD/DHG firm. I’ve been sick with COVID since early Wednesday morning and haven’t cracked open my laptop until now. I still feel like crap but OK enough to do this […]
Rumor: BKD Is Going to Merge With Either DHG, Moss Adams, or Plante Moran Today (CONFIRMED: BKD and DHG)
[Updated below with information about BKD and DHG merger.] This came through the tipline a little bit ago: To be announced later today, two top 20 firms will merge and create a new top 10 firm. Our tipster proceeded to give us a hint that narrowed the field down a bit: It’s two praxity alliance […]
Some BKD Campus Recruiters Are Making the Great Escape
By now we are well-aware of the growing dissatisfaction among client-facing grunts at public accounting firms, many of whom are doing the jobs of two or more people this busy season as already understaffed teams become more depleted by the day due to people leaving their firms for greener pastures. But we haven’t heard much […]
Compensation Watch ’21: BKD Is Handing Out Mid-Year Raises But It’s Anyone’s Guess As to How Much (NEW UPDATE)
[Updated on Dec. 22] Quick update on the folks at BKD. Apparently mid-year compensation adjustments were doled out on Dec. 17, and some BKDers posted their raises in the comments section. Based on what was posted, raises ranged from 2.3% to 4.2%. So, how did the rest of you fare? Let us know in the […]
Promotion Watch ’20: BKD Admits 21 to Partnership
After years of long hours, sleepless nights, and raging anxiety, these 14 men and seven women have finally reached the end of the partner track at BKD. And CEO Ted Dickman was bursting with pride or something: “I have no doubt that these remarkable trusted advisors will continue leveraging the firm’s momentum to help drive […]
BKD Poaches Someone From KPMG and Issues a Press Release, Part I
Before BKD CPAs & Advisors did a little housecleaning a week or so ago, the firm hired a guy from KPMG to be its newest director in the International Tax Services division. Josh Zellerman was a four-year vet of the Radio Station before jumping to the St. Louis office of BKD earlier this month. He […]
(CONFIRMED) Layoff Watch ’20: Is One the Loneliest Number At This Top 15 Accounting Firm?
[Updated with additional information about job cuts at BKD CPAs & Advisors.] So since we posted this article on Thursday afternoon, we’ve received a lot of information about what’s been happening at BKD CPAs & Advisors, the 13th largest U.S. accounting firm in INSIDE Public Accounting’s 2019 ranking. Yes, some people have been let go, […]
BKD Poaches Someone From Deloitte and Issues a Press Release, Part I
Longtime Deloitte Financial Advisory Services employee Jim Jordon is now teammates with Kate and Ben at BKD. Jordon was recently brought onboard as a managing director in BKD’s Forensics & Valuation Services division. He will be based in Houston. In his new role at the House of Dickman, Jordon will focus on assisting BKD’s energy […]
BKD Poaches Someone From FASB and Issues a Press Release
It’s fairly common for midtier accounting firms to raid the Big 4 to fill managing director, principal, and partner positions. We’ve seen it happen several times since May. Dixon Hughes Goodman did it, not once but twice. Blumshapiro did it. So too did Andersen and Mazars USA. Hell, even RSM and Grant Thornton have done […]
Promotion Watch ’19: BKD Adds 23 New Partners and Managing Directors
With graduation season approaching, BKD CPAs & Advisors held its own graduation of sorts recently, as 23 of its finest capital market servants made partner or managing director. The class of 2019 is equal in size with the class of 2018; however, there are 12 new partners this year versus 16 last year, while there […]
Comp Watch ’12: Crowe Horwath, BKD, et al.
Do you work for a public accounting firm? Are you employed by a non-Big 4 firm NOT named Grant Thornton, BDO, or McGladrey (thank you, Jeeeesus)? Have you received a raise and bonus that didn't meet your expectations and now you're feeling slightly envious of all the other public accountants out there whose firm gets […]
Ten Embarrassing and Irrelevant Reasons Why Accounting Firms Suck at Advertising
Ted Dickman Will Be the Next Head of BKD
He's replacing Neal Spencer who is the guy that kinda looks like he's from the future. So, while BKDers lose a nice clean scalp, in return they get a CEO with a surname that will encourage immature jokes. But you better get it out of your system now because he'll be a BSDickman. [AWEB]
Going Concern March Madness 2012: Is There Anything Cool About These Final Four Firms?
After two rounds of intense competition to determine the coolest accounting firm, we have come down to the final four. The Usual Suspects are long gone and the remaining favorite, Grant Thornton, was tattooed in the second round. So who are we left with? What firms are desperately hanging on to be accepted as, not […]
Going Concern March Madness 2012 Enters Round 2: No More Big 4
Today marks the day that you're pulling out brackets again that just serves as a reminder of how horrible you are at picking winners. Accordingly, we'll dive right into round two of Going Concern March Madness 2012: The Coolest Accounting Firm. Again this year we saw a bunch of upsets in round one with all […]
Unfortunately, Someone You Love May Get a Ride in BKD’s Corporate Jet
Unfortunate because that means they’re really sick. What’s not unfortunate is the firm has joined Corporate Angel Network (“CAN”) and has opted to make their plane available to give free rides to cancer and bone marrow transplant patients that have to travel for treatments.
Each week, CAN enters BKD’s flight schedule into its database and arranges travel for patients when routes match up and seats are available.
“The Corporate Angel Network offers us a great chance to use our company airplane to positively affect the lives of others,” BKD CEO Neal Spencer said. “We’re proud to be able to participate in this program as part of our continuing effort to serve the communities that are home to our offices and employees.”
[via BKD]
Going Concern March Madness Update: Reznick’s Magic is MIA; Grant Thornton, BDO on the Ropes
Look gang, since too many of you are distracted with doing billable work to email us anything half way interesting, I’m guess I’ll just update you on the progress in Round 2.
The two highest remaining seeds – Grant Thornton and BDO – are looking defeat square in the face right now to their respective opponents – Crowe Horwath and Rothstein Kass. First round comeback kid Reznick Group is currently getting worked by Moss Adams which makes should make us all wonder what happened to the teamwork we saw in the first round. Perhaps they’re a one-trick pony?
Finally, in the least talked about match-up, Mickey G’s and Dennis Rader’s favorite firm (ideas for something better are welcome) look like they’ll be taking it down to the wire. There’s just over thirteen hours left to vote, so get the word out sooner rather than later (sorry Clifton Gunderson).
Accounting News Roundup: PwC Chips in $12.5 Million for J.P. Morgan’s FSA Fine; IRS Not Returning to Austin Crash Site; Senate Working on Proposal to Scale Back 1099 Requirements | 08.09.10
PwC To Provide Up To $12.5M To JPMorgan For FSA Fine [Dow Jones]
“J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. (JPM) disclosed in a regulatory filing Friday that PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP agreed to provide up to an aggregate of $12.5 million to the bank related to a fine J.P. Morgan had to pay to the U.K. Financial Services Authority.”
Late Ponzi schemer’s accountant surrenders license [Nashville Business Journal]
This accountant managed to surrender his CPA in just under four months for his role in a Ponzi scheme. Dave Friehling had to be stripped of his license nearly 9 months after pleading guilty. NY DoE should get with Tennessee and see how they do things.
IRS to stay at new Austin site after plane crash [AP]
“An Internal Revenue Service office will not return to the Texas building where a tax protester killed himself by crashing his plane into the structure.
IRS spokeswoman Lea Crusberg said Thursday that the agency has signed a two-year lease on another office space in Austin. She declined to identify the location.”
Senate Democrats Propose Scaling Back IRS Reporting Law [WSJ]
“The Nelson proposal would exempt from the reporting rules firms with fewer than 25 employees. For larger businesses, it would require information returns only in cases where payments to a single vendor exceeded $5,000 in a given year—down from $600 in the health-care law.”
Richtermeyer to Chair Management Accountants [Web CPA]
“The Institute of Management Accountants has named accounting professor Sandra Richtermeyer as the chair of its board of directors for the 2010-2011 fiscal year.
Richtermeyer, who also chairs the Department of Accountancy in the Williams College of Business at Xavier University in Cincinnati, is only the fourth woman ever to hold the position of IMA chair since the organization’s inception in 1919.”
BKD looks to grow health care practice with purchase of Grant Thornton team [Wichita Business Journal (partial subscription required)]
According to the message sent from Stephen Chipman, that we reported on at the end of July, this is the final transition that Grant Thornton will be making. What happens from here is anyone’s guess.
BKD Partner Found Dead at His Office
[caption id="attachment_12673" align="alignright" width="120" caption="Source: Springfield Business Journal"]
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Fifty-one year old Daniel Hayworth was found dead at the BKD offices in Joplin, Missouri on Sunday afternoon.
The Springfield Journal Reports that Mr Hayworth had several leadership positions with the firm including the firm’s national construction and real estate group, national manufacturing and distribution group and chair of the manufacturing and distribution committee.
According to Newton County Coroner Mark Bridges told us that Mr Hayworth had a history of hypertension and high blood pressure, accordingly his office ruled that the cause of death was a massive heart attack.
Our email to a BKD spokesperson was not immediately returned.
John Wanamaker, the managing partner of BKD’s Souther Missouri unit was quoted by the SBJ, saying, “Dan was such a great guy, and this is such an unexpected and untimely event. He was clearly a great man, a great husband to his wife, Lynn, a great BKD partner, and a great friend, and he will be unbelievably missed.”
KPMG Got Fired by North American Savings Bank After Six Months on the Job
Technically, if you count the days (based on the 8-K) it’s less than six months.
The reason? Without getting too wonky, it appears NASB wasn’t thrilled that KPMG challenged their valuation method of a real estate investment, Central Platte Holdings, LLC.
Klynveld had been engaged to audit the September 30, 2010 financial statements of NASB but things managed to get confrontational right off the bat as KPMG raised questions about the Company’s valuation methodology of Central Platte in its first quarter review.
This must have made NASB a little uncomfortable since KPMG’s methods might not paint as rosy as a picture and could have resulted in a restatement. Per the 8-K, “KPMG also informed the Company that if the investment was determined to be impaired, evidence existed which indicated that such impairment may have occurred in a prior period.”
Obviously the mere idea of a restatement was completely unacceptable for NASB but when KPMG requested that the Company engagement a third party appraisal, they really freaked. Either the bank didn’t want to pay for said third party’s services, or they were worried that the appraisal would show that Central Platte wasn’t worth squat.
More from the 8-K filing:
At KPMG’s request, management estimated the fair value of the investment in Central Platte. After reviewing management’s estimate of fair value, KPMG requested the Company obtain an independent third party appraisal of the fair value of the investment. KPMG did not complete their review of the fair value of the investment in Central Platte prior to their dismissal.
While the Company continues to evaluate whether it should change its accounting method in measuring impairment of the investment in preparing the financial statements for the quarter ended December 31, 2009, the Company disagrees with KPMG that its method of evaluating potential impairment of the investment in such period or in any prior
periods was in error.
For those of you unfamiliar with SEC filing lingo, the statement “the Company continues to evaluate whether it should change its accounting method,” actually means “We’re not changing shit.” Luckily, NASB knew that it can rely on their old auditors to give the thumbs up to their preferred method so they ran back (weeping and arms flailing no doubt) to BKD.
Maybe KPMG’s Kansas City office needed business but something tells us they’re better off.
Real estate dispute leads NASB Financial to switch auditors [KC Star]
8-K [SEC.gov]
BKD Makes a Move, Albeit a Small One
Not sure how we missed this but whatevs. BKD made a move on a local Dallas firm, KBA Group LLP on June 1.
BKD will add eight partners, 95 employees, and approximately $16 million in revenues to its business.
According to AccountingWEB, “This expansion will allow BKD to meet the needs of the rapidly growing Texas market as it serves clients from its offices in Houston, San Antonio, and now Dallas.” Sounds like a BKD press release but if you say so…Enjoy the new boss, KBA!
BKD announces merger with Dallas-based KBA Group [AccountingWEB]