[KC Burke]

See my #79 for some of the issues involving partnerships. No I don't work for Andersen. I am sometimes involved in hiring audit and consulting firms and while not having utilized their services, I've known some people there.

None of these firms are monoliths. Not even Wal*Mart. They all have different segments, real people with real concerns...that's my point.

The constant lament that "The Sheriff will save us" just isn't my cup of tea...

I will agree, all the big five (and others) have the hubris and self-importance of which you speak, but all such businesses are prone to that. When people talk to me in my field, I even get more pontifical than I do on FR if that can be believed.....LOL

[CatoRenasci]

In my experience, and I've dealt with all of the big accounting firms here and several abroad, is that Andersen's hubris was something special, an order of magnitude greater than the others. I think that's why you see so much Schadenfreude in the industry over their humbling and probable demise.

The article you referred to on the partnership issues was good, although necessarily superficial. My practice involves a significant amount of corporate/partnership governance and mergers & acquisitions work. The word I hear on the street doesn't look good for AA.