Accounting

Software company Dubber has failed in a bid to stay its case against BDO Audit pending the outcome of ASIC's action against the auditor, with a judge ordering discovery to proceed before the litigation is put on ice.

The fallout from the KPMG leaks scandal has widened, with the corporate regulator launching a review of audit complaints to the Big 4 accounting firms. 

KPMG's newly appointed chairman Mike Ebeid previously accused Labor senator Deborah O'Neill of making "completely false" statements to the senate when she revealed a whistleblower's allegations of misconduct at the firm.

KPMG's national chairman Martin Sheppard is stepping down to make way for an independent chair, and audit partners Eileen Hoggett and Paul Rogers are leaving the firm.

Under pressure from parliamentary committee members, KPMG said late Friday it would waive privilege and hand over investigation reports from Allens and Ashurst, after initially resisting orders for documents.

Facing the hotseat over KPMG's treatment of a whisteblower, the accounting giant's former CEO Andrew Yates told a parliamentary committee hearing on Friday he took accountability and was not a "bad apple".

ASIC’s chair says the corporate cop is investigating individuals at KPMG for alleged misuse of confidential information belonging to Lendlease and Optus to win new work, but says it is hamstrung by current law from undertaking a broader probe. 

Lendlease chair John Gillam has said the company's board was “deeply discontented” with KPMG’s alleged misuse of its confidential information but was stuck with the accounting firm until the end of the financial year. 

Building giant Lendlease has told besieged auditor KPMG it expects to be compensated for the cost of dealing with the fallout of the accounting giant's misuse of its confidential data.

A former owner of the Ubertas property development group is suing Deloitte Private and Pitcher Partners, alleging they gave her negligent advice that led to an audit and a $12 million tax bill.