Case 5.4-- Waverly Holland, Audit Senior

I don’t think Dutch should meet with Rober Chope. Auditors shall not disclose any confidential client information without the client's specific consent. Although Dutch is no longer working for the audit firm, he is still expected to follow the basic principles of confidentiality and uphold the professional standards of an auditor.
Morris did not act responsibly in his discussions with Dutch. His angry response was not professional. Even worse, he threatened Dutch if Dutch did meet with the attorney. It would be more appropriate if he simply gave Dutch some advice about how to deal with this situation. Dutch would greatly appreciate it if he offered much needed guidance and support.
No one wants to be named as a defendant in any lawsuit. It is reasonable that Dutch just “wants to be left alone”. However, it is unethical for him to do so since he once supervised the field work on Padova & Vicenza and did have some lingering questions regarding the material accuracy and fairness of the client’s financial statements while severing on the audit engagement team.
Dutch should try to maintain his loyalty as if he was working for the audit firm. He needs to place a value on loyalty because it pays in the long run. Loyalty to his former employer, especially during a situation where he placed his own interest second, helps him build his personal reputation. As with most things there can be a downside to blind loyalty. Protecting the audit firm and the partners under the guise of loyalty when their behavior is destructive is unacceptable. However, in this case, it is not blind loyalty and there is no such