Big Six hire lobbyists to run liability campaign

The audit chiefs of the Big Six have stepped up their efforts to change the joint and several liability laws by bringing in a firm of lobbyists to run their campaign.

Roger Davis, head of audit at Coopers & Lybrand and the chairman of the Big Six group, which has named itself the Liability Reform Group, said the decision to bring in Nigel Clark, a consultant with lobbyists GJW, showed the determination of the auditors to press for reform. ‘We are putting all our differences to one side to ensure success. This is a joint venture, jointly funded, but the money (being spent on the campaign) is trivial compared to the risks to the firms,’ he said.

Davis added that Clark would not be used as a political lobbyist, but would act as the group’s project director. ‘He will make sure we are objective in all the work we do,’ Davis said.

Gerry Acher, fellow reform group member and KPMG’s head of audit, said the priority for the reform group was to understand the legal ramifications of changing the law. ‘We need a clear explanation of the advantages and disadvantages of the options open to us. We have to look at what will happen if we don’t change the law,’ he said.

The reform group is awaiting the results of a DTI consultation on options to reform joint and several, due to be released next month.