Arthur Andersen LLP was an American accounting firm based in Chicago that provided auditing, tax advising, consulting and other professional services to large corporations. By 2001, it had become one of the world's largest multinational corporations and was one of the "Big Five" accounting firms. The firm collapsed by mid-2002, as details of its questionable accounting practices for energy company Enron and telecommunications company WorldCom were revealed amid the two high-profile bankruptcies. The scandals were a factor in the enactment of the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002.
The Big Four are the four largest professional services networks in the world: Deloitte, EY, KPMG, and PwC. They are the four largest global accounting networks as measured by revenue. The four are often grouped because they are comparable in size relative to the rest of the market, both in terms of revenue and workforce; they are considered equal in their ability to provide a wide scope of professional services to their clients; and, among those looking to start a career in professional services, particularly accounting, they are considered equally attractive networks to work in, because of the frequency with which these firms engage with Fortune 500 companies.
Ernst & Young Global Limited, trade name EY, is a multinational professional services partnership. EY is one of the largest professional services networks in the world. Along with Deloitte, KPMG and PwC, it is considered one of the Big Four accounting firms. It primarily provides assurance, tax, information technology services, consulting, and advisory services to its clients.
KPMG International Limited is a multinational professional services network, and one of the Big Four accounting organizations, along with Ernst & Young (EY), Deloitte, and PwC. The name "KPMG" stands for "Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler". The initialism was chosen when KMG merged with Peat Marwick in 1987.
PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited is a multinational professional services brand of firms, operating as partnerships under the PwC brand. It is the second-largest professional services network in the world and is considered one of the Big Four accounting firms, along with Deloitte, EY, and KPMG.
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, commonly referred to as Deloitte, is a British multinational professional services network. Deloitte is the largest professional services network by revenue and number of employees in the world and is considered one of the Big Four accounting firms along with EY, KPMG and PwC.
A limited liability partnership (LLP) is a partnership in which some or all partners have limited liabilities. It therefore can exhibit aspects of both partnerships and corporations. In an LLP, each partner is not responsible or liable for another partner's misconduct or negligence. This distinguishes an LLP from a traditional partnership under the UK Partnership Act 1890, in which each partner has joint liability. In an LLP, some or all partners have a form of limited liability similar to that of the shareholders of a corporation. Depending on the jurisdiction, however, the limited liability may extend only to the negligence or misconduct of the other partners, and the partners may be personally liable for other liabilities of the firm or partners.
The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) is a nonprofit corporation created by the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002 to oversee the audits of US-listed public companies. The PCAOB also oversees the audits of broker-dealers, including compliance reports filed pursuant to federal securities laws, to promote investor protection. All PCAOB rules and standards must be approved by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
RSM US LLP is an audit, tax, and consulting firm focused on the middle market in the United States and Canada and is a member of the global accounting network RSM International. It is the fifth largest accounting firm in the United States and employs more than 17,000 professionals across 93 cities nationwide and in Canada. RSM US also maintains offices in India and El Salvador. Since 2012, RSM US has been headquartered in downtown Chicago.
Mazars is an internationally integrated partnership, specialising in audit, accounting and consulting group employing more than 47,000 professionals in more than 95 countries through member firms. With head offices in Paris, France, Mazars has a network of correspondent partners and joint ventures in a further 21 countries and is a founding member of the Praxity alliance, a network of independent firms.
Grant Thornton is the world's seventh-largest by revenue and sixth-largest by number of employees professional services network of independent accounting and consulting member firms which provide assurance, tax and advisory services to privately held businesses, public interest entities, and public sector entities. Grant Thornton International Ltd. is a not-for-profit, non-practising, international umbrella membership entity organised as a private company limited by guarantee. Grant Thornton International Ltd. is incorporated in London, England, and has no share capital.
SMART Business Advisory and Consulting, LLC was a consulting company that served clients throughout the U.S. and globally. SMART was headquartered in Devon, Pennsylvania with locations in the metropolitan areas of Atlanta, Chicago, New York City, Philadelphia, and internationally in London. The merged entity of LECG/SMART was liquidated in March 2011 as the company was unable to service its debt obligations going forward.
FORVIS ranks among the U.S. top 10 public accounting firms, providing assurance, tax, and consulting services.
Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP was one of the two predecessor firms that merged to form Forvis, LLP.
Simon McKie is the chairman and a designated member of McKie & Co LLP. He is also a writer and lecturer on taxation and other matters and a contributor to the charitable and technical activities of a number of professional bodies.
An accounting network or accounting association is a professional services network whose principal purpose is to provide members resources to assist the clients around the world and hence reduce the uncertainty by bringing together a greater number of resources to work on a problem. The networks and associations operate independently of the independent members. The largest accounting networks are known as the Big Four.
Plante Moran is one of the largest audit, tax, consulting, and wealth management firms in the United States according to Inside Public Accounting's list of the “Top 100” firms. The firm employs more than 3,800 people and has 23 offices in Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Colorado, Mexico, India, Japan, and China.
BDO is an international network of public accounting, tax, consulting and business advisory firms that provide professional services under the name BDO. It is the fifth-largest accounting network in the world. Global fee income of the member firms in the network for the year ended 30 September 2021, including the members of their exclusive alliances, totaled US$12.8 billion. Each BDO member firm is an independent legal entity in its own country. The network, founded in 1963 as Binder Seidman International Group by firms from Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK and the US, is coordinated by BDO Global Coordination B.V., with an office in Zaventem, Belgium. In 1973, the organisation adopted the name BDO, made up from the initials of the three founding firms: Binder (UK), Dijker (Netherlands) and Otte (Germany).
Dhruva Advisors LLP is one of the largest tax and regulatory firms in India. The firm provides consultancy and regulatory services in Corporate Tax Advisory, Tax Controversy Management, Regulatory Advisory, Tax Compliance, M&A Tax, Goods & Service Tax (GST), Foreign Trade Policy, Transfer Pricing, Family Office Advisory, Succession Planning & Promoter Advisory, FS, Funds & FPI Tax Advisory & Compliance, Middle East VAT and UAE Corporate Tax. Dhruva Advisors has been recognized as one of the fastest-growing Tax practicing firms in India, and by November 2023, it has grown to 7 offices, 5 in India, and one each in Abu Dhabi & Dubai. The firm has a strong track record of designing and implementing pioneering solutions in several areas of domestic and international tax across virtually all sectors including Aerospace & Defence, Automobile & Ancillary, Agro & Chemicals, Conglomerates, Energy & Resources, Education, Financial Services, IT & ITes, Manufacturing & Real Estate, Pharma, Life Sciences & Healthcare, Private Equity, Transport, Telecom & Media. The firm has emerged as a key player in the Tax domain in India and is competing with some of the major firms which includes the Big 4s, Grant Thornton and BDO.
US$1.9 billion (2019)
