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Tag: gotta support the team

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).

Going Concern March Madness: The Coolest Accounting Firm – Round 2

Okay people, after a crazy first round, we’re here to present round two of Going Concern March Madness: Coolest Accounting Firm. With all of the Big 4 sent home with their spreadsheets between their legs, the title is up for grabs, although it’s abundantly clear that Reznick Group isn’t taking this shit lightly (they did get their Indian office involved, after all).

With that setup, let’s check out the match-up href=”http://www.goingconcern.com/2011/03/going-concern-march-madness-the-coolest-accounting-firm-round-2/picture-8-11/” rel=”attachment wp-att-27437″>

As you can see, Grant Thornton is now the highest seed left making them the new favorite but judging by how things went in the last round, seeds are basically meaningless.

Voting will start tomorrow morning at 5 am PT tomorrow morning and will end at 11:59 pm PT (don’t ask, that’s just Vizu does) Friday night. Check back here tomorrow to start the voting but in the meantime, place your bets and discuss round 2 below. As always, check with your local bookmaker for actual odds.

UPDATE:
Since I have no plans to get up extra early, I’ve added the polls to the post but you won’t be able to starting voting until tomorrow morning. I realize that many of you will stay up all night and refresh until voting begins but I need my beauty sleep.

The comeback kids vs. the left coast kings (or queens).

Team purple vs. a murder of Crowes.

The most interesting accounting firm in the world (but the coolest?) takes on Arnold Rothstein’s firm…oh, wait…not really, that guy fixed baseball games.

Rounding out with Mickey G’s and BKD.

Reznick Group’s Upset of PwC in GCMMCAF Was a Team Effort

In collegiate tournament basketball, a #16 seed upsetting a #1 is virtually unheard of. The only time it has ever happened was the Harvard Womens squad upsetting Stanford in 1998. It has never happened in the mens tournament. But in the Going Concern March Madness: Coolest Accounting Firm bracket, superior athletes, coaching and luck do not matter. Like most things in accounting, it comes down to numbers.

Late yesterday, PwC’s lead over Reznick Group completely vanished. I speculated to my parter-in-crime that based on the sheer volume coming out of the Virginia/Maryland region that it had to be some sort of a concerted effort on the part of Reznick Group. Turns out I was right; more right than I could possibly know.


This email went out to all Reznick Group offices. Yes. All.

And here’s the victory lap/dancing on PwC’s grave:

We knew America would land with Reznick Group accountants being the coolest bean counters around. With the underground movement of getting clients, family and friends to help vote along with a huge push from our India employees motivating a billion voters, hard to stop the Reznick Group momentum.

Bring on the next contender!

So for the firms left – this is what you’re up against. I’m not suggesting that you should undertake similar efforts but that’s because I have to remain neutral in this regard.

It should be noted that based on the numbers accumulated by Vizu, it appears very few Reznick people bothered voting on any of the other match-ups. This isn’t exactly the kind of participation we had in mind but since most of RG is probably new to the site, we’ll let it slide. The question now is whether this amounts to a “Reznick win” or a “PwC loss.” Please discuss. We’ll updated you with the match-ups for the second round later today and the voting rolling tomorrow.

Former Deloitte Employee and Burgeoning Adult-themed Mobile App Entrepreneur Annabel McClellan Appears in Court, Sans Husband

Hard to believe it’s almost been two weeks since we mentioned alleged insider trader/justice obstructer/swinger app developer Annabel McClellan but time sure flies when you’re facing criminal charges, amiright?

Annabel made an appearance in criminal court yesterday but sadly, her husband and alleged insider trading conspirator, Arnold, was nowhere to be seen. You could probably conclude that someone has to watch the kids, since no one in Pacific Heights is interested in being associated with the couple at this point.


From the Bay Citizen:

[O]n Tuesday, Annabel McClellan was very much alone in court. Previously, she surrendered her British passport and posted $250,000 bail. If convicted of the obstruction of justice charge, she could face five years in prison. Potential damages in the SEC case could exceed $90 million.

Nanci Clarence, Annabel McClellan’s attorney, told U.S. District Court Judge William Alsup that she would need several months to adequately review the documents that U.S. federal prosecutors have handed over. As of Tuesday, the number of documents stood at 47,000.

While it’s pretty unlikely that My Nookie, the aforementioned mobil app that appears to be a Wheel of Position Fortunes, gets much attention in the documents, we can always hope. The fact that this will keep the McClellans tied up in court for months and maybe years to come, goes without saying but Ms. McClellan’s attorney – acting in her client’s best interest – opted to go there:

“This is a fairly complicated matter,” Clarence explained to Judge Alsup, who will also be presiding over the related SEC case against both McClellans. Additionally, Clarence said, there are “very extensive parallel proceedings in the United Kingdom. That proceeding [will] generate its own extensive discovery” of evidence. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Reeves, who is prosecuting the case, did not object to the delay.

As everyone agreed on April 5 as the next court date in the case, Alsup addressed McClellan, dressed all in black, who had stood quietly before him for the duration of the hearing, saying, “Ms. McClellan, welcome to the court. See you back in April.”

*Photo: Drew Altizer Photography via The Bay Citizen