Porter Wright Recognized Among 30 Elite Law Firms Nationally For Superior Client Service in BTI Survey

Posted on December 7, 2009 by LexBlog

Porter Wright is deeply honored to be ranked among the 30 elite firms in the country when it comes to client service.  In a national survey of in-house counsel at Fortune 1000 companies conducted byThe BTI Consulting Group (BTI), Porter Wright ranked 22 out of 505 core firms named by in-house counsel.

Porter Wright was honored as a “Leader of the Best” when it comes to advising clients on business issues. According to the report, “Porter Wright differentiates itself with clients by translating legalese into business speak — a key method to prove your commitment to help clients.” The report also cites specific comments from corporate counsel about Porter Wright’s commitment to client service, specifically, “They know our business and us. They have skilled people in a number of areas critical to our business.”

Based out of Boston, BTI is the leading provider of strategic market research to law firms and professional services firms. BTI’s analysis draws on candid feedback from 240 corporate counsel at Fortune 1000 companies to determine which law firms among 505 core firms nationally top the charts in client service. Corporate counsel ranked Porter Wright among the best in the country in 14 areas:

  1. Anticipates the Client’s Needs
  2. Breadth of Services
  3. Brings Together National Resources
  4. Commitment to Help
  5. Deals with Unexpected Changes
  6. Helps Advise on Business Issues
  7. International Capability
  8. Keeps Clients Informed
  9. Legal Skills
  10. Meets Scope and Budget
  11. Provides Value for the Dollar
  12. Quality Products
  13. Understands the Client’s Business
  14. Unprompted Communication

For more information about this survey, visit www.bticlientservicesateam.com.

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Smaller Reporting Companies May Avoid SOX Requirement Auditor Attestation Concerning Internal Controls Under Proposed Legislation

Posted on December 2, 2009 by Jack J. Gravelle

In November the House Financial Services Committee passed an amendment to the proposed Investor Protection Act, H.R. 3817, that would exempt non-accelerated filers from providing auditor attestation of internal control over financial reporting. Public holding companies for some community banks may be affected. If passed, the bill as amended would provide significant relief for smaller reporting companies which are, generally speaking, companies with a public float of less than $75 million.

 
On October 2, 2009, the SEC extended the deadline by which annual reports must include auditor attestation for non-accelerated filers, including smaller reporting companies, to fiscal years ending on or after June 15, 2010. For calendar year-end companies, this would be the Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010, to be filed in March 2011. Previously the deadline applied to annual reports for years ending on or after December 15, 2009. The Commission indicated the deadline will not be extended again, but if the Investor Protection Act becomes law the deadline will become moot. Congress is expected to consider the Investor Protection Act sometime in December.

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