I was hired in the first year of Sarbanes-Oxley. Normally, recruits start in August, but that year they sent an e-mail out in February asking for volunteers to start in May.Because I was looking for every excuse in the world to avoid spending the summer studying for the CPA exam, I jumped at the opportunity.

Porte Brown LLC and Americaneagle.com have announced a strategic alliance to drive new growth opportunities for both companies. The alliance enables both firms to improve productivity while reducing costs for clients by combining the expertise of an accounting firm and IT provider with Web design professionals. CPA firm Porte Brown LLC, located in Elk Grove Village, IL, expanded its accounting services recently to include an IT consulting branch to aid in the selection of technology to support the business needs of new and existing clients throughout the Chicago area.

It is said that "truth is stranger than fiction." While I'm not entirely convinced of that, I can testify that the truth can be pretty damned strange. My goal in this series will be to give the reader an uncensored look at entry-level life in a Big 4 firm. It won't contain any deep insights into "office life," mostly because I rarely spent any time in the office. I couldn't even tell you the color of the carpet. In order to be completely honest with the facts,, (and because I value receiving a paycheck), I am going to remain anonymous.

This is one article in a series of interviews with firms that are members of the International Group of Accounting Firms (IGAF).Before joining TorresCPA Group in San Juan, Puerto Rico as partner, Humberto Torres-Rodriguez managed his own firm for twenty years, where he worked to create a different environment, one with a focus on people and team effort, that would lead to greater productivity and outstanding client service.

Crowe Horwath LLP has signed an agreement to acquire certain assets of California-based Grobstein, Horwath & Company LLP, with a planned closing date of Dec. 1, 2008. Crowe Horwath LLP is one of the largest public accounting and consulting firms in the U.S.Founded in 1966, Grobstein has served Southern California for more than 40 years. The firm has more than 120 professionals working at its offices in Sherman Oaks and Costa Mesa.

Nominations are being sought for Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants' (PICPA) 2009 Distinguished Public Service Award. Deadline for nominations is Nov. 21.Since 1981, PICPA annually recognizes a Pennsylvania certified public accountant who is a community service leader, a passionate volunteer, and an advocate for worthwhile causes. This is PICPA's top honor.The winner is chosen by a panel of judges from across the state, and will be honored at the Institute's annual meeting and conference in June.

Gaithersburg, MD-based DeLeon & Stang is pleased to announce that Jeanie N. Price, director of administration, was recently named Co-President of the Washington, DC Chapter of the Association for Accounting Administration (AAA). “It is an honor to be part of an organization that provides such excellent support and benefit to firm administrators,” says Price.

Pannell Kerr Forster of Texas, P.C. (PKF Texas) was named a winner of the Alfred P. Sloan Award for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility, distinguishing PKF Texas as one of the leading practitioners of workplace flexibility in Houston and across the nation.“We are honored to be a recipient of the Sloan Award for the second year in a row,” said Kenneth Guidry, CPA, President.

What happens to pro-bono work when the economy sags? For forward-thinking firms, often the answer is, it increases. Before you react to a business slow down by laying off staff, consider the benefits of redirecting some of your workforce into pro-bono... and the cost of cutting back.It's no secret that the cost of turnover is high. A conservative estimate puts the cost to replace an individual at about 25 percent of his or her salary, while others say it is considerably higher.