Auditor Litigation: Evidence that Revenue Restatements Are Determinative

Research in Accounting Regulation, Volume 26(2),164-174, October 2014

33 Pages Posted: 27 Apr 2014 Last revised: 25 Feb 2018

See all articles by Sebahattin Demirkan

Sebahattin Demirkan

George Mason University - Department of Accounting

Ross D. Fuerman

Suffolk University - Department of Accounting

Date Written: April 24, 2014

Abstract

This study extends the Palmrose and Scholz (2004) general litigation and general restatements study by focusing on auditor litigation and revenue restatements. We investigate all potential accounting issues, individually, instead of by their group method, with regard to auditor litigation. The impact of the individual accounting issues implicated in restatements is of concern to auditors and audit standard setters in gauging auditor litigation risk and audit risk. It also is important for financial analysis and securities valuation because investors’ losses are greater, and recovery of losses on a percentage basis lower, when the auditor is a defendant, and especially when the auditor has a more severe, negative litigation experience (Commolli et al. 2012). We examine financial reporting lawsuits filed from 2001 through 2008 and find that revenue restatements – far more than any other kind of restatements – are associated with auditors being named defendants and also auditors experiencing a more severe, negative outcome in the litigation.

Keywords: restatement, revenue restatement, auditor litigation, auditor defendants, auditor outcomes

JEL Classification: K00, K22, K41, M41

Suggested Citation

Demirkan, Sebahattin and Fuerman, Ross D., Auditor Litigation: Evidence that Revenue Restatements Are Determinative (April 24, 2014). Research in Accounting Regulation, Volume 26(2),164-174, October 2014, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2429108 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2429108

Sebahattin Demirkan

George Mason University - Department of Accounting ( email )

Ross D. Fuerman (Contact Author)

Suffolk University - Department of Accounting ( email )

Sawyer Business School
Department of Accounting
Boston, MA 02108
United States
617-573-8615 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://www.suffolk.edu/business/faculty/12328.php

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
210
Abstract Views
3,582
Rank
262,884
PlumX Metrics