Abstract
This paper discusses the ethical handling of the Enron case by audit firm Arthur Andersen.

From the Paper
"For many years, Arthur Andersen was the gold standard in the auditing and accounting sector, widely known as having the highest level of professional integrity while still representing the financial interests of its clients within the limits of the law and to the best advantage of clients. In later years, however, as the cases of the Baptist Foundation of Arizona, Sunbeam, Enron and Waste Management, all clients of Andersen, whose accounting and auditing practices were ultimately proven to have obfuscated the reality..."

Tags:Arthur Andersen, Enron, ehtics

Abstract
The paper discusses that the Enron case was a no-win situation for Arthur Andersen. The paper points out that Arthur Andersen tried to distance themselves from the case in hope that Enron did not get caught, but Enron did get caught. The author feels that Arthur Andersen, despite client loyalty, would have managed the case better if they had severed relationships with Enron much sooner.

From the Paper
"Arthur Andersen was in a tough client relations position. However, there are several points along the way where they could have perhaps at least saved their reputation. One point is when they continued to shred documents after they had been ordered by the courts to stop this activity. Had they at least obeyed that court order, then they may have been able to claim that they were not so deeply embroiled in the controversy and could have perhaps distanced themselves from it. This was the final straw as for as the public and the courts were concerned. Their actions in destroying the court order stood as clear evidence that they were both aware of and in support of the activities at Enron. This act enraged the public the most."

Tags:client, ethics, auditor, fraud

Abstract
This paper explores the accounting malpractices within the Andersen Firm. The paper discusses the functions and duties of the firm and the history of the company. The writer describes recent events including the Enron case and a myriad of other cases, accusing Andersen of misleading investors. The paper also examines whether or not the Author Andersen auditing firm is a trustworthy firm to do business with.

From the Paper
"Anderson contracted with the Enron Corporation to perform its audits and provide the audit opinion. The firm performed this task for over ten years and charged Enron almost $48 million in fees in the year 2000 alone. It is believed that Andersen hid the fact the Enron used questionable accounting practices to hide huge losses that Enron had incurred. Andersen has admitted that employees destroyed evidence that exposed the shotty accounting practices."

Tags:auditing, malpractice, enron, consulting, negligence, investors, financial

Abstract
This paper discusses the fall of the Arthur Andersen accounting firm and the lessons that can be drawn from its demise. The paper explains that the problem at Arthur Anderson began because it served as the auditor of and consultant to Enron, causing a conflict of interest on many levels. The paper then highlights the lessons that can be learned from this event, namely, that arrogance and greed will lead nowhere and ethics should be the guiding principle in businesses and in daily lives.

Outline:
What Went Wrong
Conflict of Interest
Recommendations

From the Paper
"A day after Enron Corp. announced that the SEC was inquiring into the company's accounting, auditors at Arthur Andersen's Houston office started destroying thousands of documents and e-mail messages. The destruction, which apparently took place on from October 23 to November 9, 2001, was only the start. Investigators also found that Arthur Andersen approved transactions by Enron and its affiliates that contributed to Enron's collapse. It was also found that Andersen had repeatedly assured Enron management that its books were in order (Oppel & Eichenwald, 1).
"In June 2002, Andersen was found guilty of obstruction of justice in relation to impeding the Enron investigation (Eichenwald, 1). While Andersen still exists today, it's only a shell of what it used to be, with no more than 200 employees. It has also stayed away from auditing public companies, focusing more on litigation or pension issues (Glaten, 1)."

Tags:Enron, conflict, of, interest, greed, Sarbanes-Oxley

Abstract
This paper addresses the question about whether accounting firms should act as consultants for the same companies that they audit. It uses the case of the accounting firm, Arthur Andersen, and its complicity in the Enron debacle to explore this question. The paper also addresses several larger issues on business and accounting ethics and looks at the need for reform in the accounting industry as a way of ensuring public confidence in the integrity of the accounting system.

From the Paper
"In late 2001, Arthur Andersen, one of the world's largest accounting firms, found itself plunged into what will likely be remembered as one of this generations greatest business scandals. The scandal involved Enron Corp., one of America's most successful corporations, and the darling of investors, employees, and market analysts alike. Enron was accused of a multitude of ethical breeches, including deliberately misleading shareholders about the company's true financial status. Ultimately, Enron was found guilty of a number of financial misdeeds, went bankrupt, and Anderson's involvement in the scandal brought the ethics of accounting firms into question."

Tags:shareholders, financial, status, auditor, consultant, self-monitoring, securities, and, exchange, commission

Abstract
This paper examines how the ethical difficulties involved in the case of Enron and Arthur Anderson, the accounting firm that had been responsible for auditing Enron accounts, are both numerous and overreaching. From the initial process of setting up the special purpose entities (SPEs), to the accounting bias fueled by large fees that Enron provided to Arthur Anderson, it looks at how the failure to testify truthfully about the Enron scandal in a court of law, showed a lack ethical decision making.

From the Paper
"The ethical difficulties involved in the case of Enron and Arthur Anderson, the accounting firm that had been responsible for auditing Enron's accounts, are both numerous and overreaching. From the initial process of setting up the special purpose entities (SPEs) to the accounting bias fueled by large fees that Enron provided to Arthur Anderson, to the failure to testify truthfully about the Enron scandal in a court of law, participants showed a lack ethical decision-making. Freeman, in his stakeholder theory of business ethics, argues that businesses do bear social responsibilities for their actions. This paper will examine the actions of both companies against the strictures of the stakeholder model of ethics. "

Tags:enron, arthur, andersen

Abstract
In recent years, the standards of the accounting profession have been a subject of great scrutiny. The boom of the 90s changed the business environment tremendously. Financial scandals and out-of-hand executives required the reshaping of the accounting industry. This paper shows that at the forefront of all this is the once-famous accounting firm of Arthur Andersen. The paper examines the history and success story of this firm and then examines the issues surrounding the charges of unethical practice.

Paper Outline
Company Background
The Rise of Arthur Andersen
Implications of the Fall of Arthur Andersen
The Fall of Arthur Andersen
After Enron, WorldCom, and the Fall of Arthur Andersen
Bibliography

From the Paper
"In 1997, Andersen paid $7 million to settle fraud allegations arising from an audit of Waste Management Inc. Another whopping $24 million was paid in settlement over allegations that Andersen misrepresented the financial health of American Continental Corp. and its subsidiaries bases in Arizona. On top of that, Andersen was also under investigation by Arizona officials for repeatedly ignoring information that the Baptist Foundation of Arizona was defrauding its customers. After years of clean audits, the foundation was exposed as a multi-million dollar fraud."

Tags:Clarence, Delany, fraudulent, SEC

Abstract
This paper analyzes the accounting firm, Arthur Andersen and describes the role Andersen played in the Enron collapse. The paper uses this case to illustrate the debate of whether or not auditing should be separated from consulting. The writer states that the Andersen debacle has been instrumental in informing the public of the flaws of businesses in a capital market.

From the Paper
"In recent months the standards of the accounting profession have been the subject of great scrutiny. At the forefront of this ongoing debate is the accounting firm of Arthur Andersen. The firm has been found guilty of obstruction of justice in the Enron case on the grounds that the company shredded valuable documents relating to the financial collapse of Enron. The purpose of this paper is to explore whether or not auditing should be separated from consulting."

Tags:accounting, enron, financial, corporations, sec, sarbanes

Abstract
This paper examines the case of "Arthur Andersen v. United States." The paper discusses the charge that Andersen faced of obstructing an official proceeding of the Securities and Exchange Commission on 6 May, 2002. The paper also examines the historical context of the case and the question of Arthur Andersen's guilt or innocence revolving around the term "corruptly persuades" from Chapter 18 of the United States Code.

Table of Contents:
The Question
Historical Context
Legal Principles Involved
Impact and Ethical Considerations

From the Paper
"On one hand, it can be argued that the Federal Government, through the S.E.C., acted in a heavy-handed manner which resulted in a high-profile prosecution that unnecessarily brought down a venerable and once reputable accounting firm. It is worthwhile to note that Chief Justice Rehnquist is the same justice that presided over the selection of George W. Bush in 2000, causing the vote counting in Florida - which ultimately showed that Al Gore was indeed the winner - to be stopped on grounds that it would be "damaging" to Bush. One significant result is that a culture of corruption and a pro-business bias so powerful that the good of the average citizen has been completely disregarded, the likes of which has not existed since the "Gilded Age" and the excesses of the "Roaring 20's," has flourished - much to the detriment of the nation."

Tags:court, corruption, SEC, attorney

Abstract
Accounting firm Arthur Andersen's recent involvement in the spectacular Enron scandal has raised a number of questions about whether accounting firms should act as consultants for the same companies that they audit. Clearly, Andersen's experience shows that is difficult, if not impossible, for an accounting company to avoid conflict-of-interest issues when acting as both a consultant and auditor for a single company. This paper paper shows that the conflict of interest is only one of the serious ethical issues faced by the business world in the past years. As such, clients and investors are becoming increasingly aware of ethical issues, a situation that makes reform in the accounting industry a necessity to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the accounting profession.

From the Paper
"In examining only the behavior of Arthur Andersen, we run the real risk of losing sight of the larger ethical issues that are involved in the Enron fiasco. The behavior of both Arthur Anderson and Enron executives showed a shocking disregard for personal ethics, as well as professional standards, and corporate ethics. Jennifer Beever notes that the business world has responded by taking a renewed interest in the study of ethics. This is a marked difference previous standards of proper business behavior that adhered most strongly to the pursuit of self-interest (Beever)."

Tags:Joseph, Berardino, SEC