Accounting Today articles from March 2003

Accounting Today archives from March 2003

Some AICPA credentials face the chopping block. (Top of the news: the complete chronicle of news and trends shaping the profession).
March 17, 2003... As part of the American Institute of CPAs' effort to trim spending and refocus on marketing the CPA brand, the institute ominously announced in February that support for its specialty credential programs might soon vanish. Among those...

Keeping the `cascade' from becoming a flood. (Top of the news: the complete chronicle of news and trends shaping the profession).
March 17, 2003... NASHVILLE, TENN. -- The National Association of State Boards of Accountancy hopes that it can keep the "cascade" created by last year's passage of the landmark Sarbanes-Oxley Act from becoming a flood of unmanageable over-regulation at the...

New environment drives demand for fraud CPE. (Top of the news: the complete chronicle of news and trends shaping the profession).
March 17, 2003... The past year's corporate accounting scandals and the subsequent spate of regulatory changes have altered the accounting and auditing landscape considerably. Between the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and Statement on Auditing Standards No. 99, keeping...

AICPA claims victory in removal of H&R Block ad. (Top of the news: the complete chronicle of news and trends shaping the profession).
March 17, 2003... NEW YORK -- The barrage of letters and phone calls from outraged CPAs and their leadership appears to have worked, as H&R Block agreed to remove a TV ad the American Institute of CPAs called "insulting" and offensive to the profession. ...

AICPA names council-probe task force.(Brief Article)
March 17, 2003... NEW YORK -- American Institute of CPAs chair Bill Ezzell announced the names of the seven-member task force charged with evaluating how Council members are chosen, and how the body conducts its activities and communicates with AICPA members....

Active IQ sells Red Wing.(Brief Article)
March 17, 2003... MINNEAPOLIS -- Managers of Red Wing Accounting Software have purchased the group from its former parent, Active IQ Technologies. In announcing the deal, Active IQ said that the sale allows it and Red Wing "to focus on delivering services and...

FEI appoints Sayther as prexy, CEO.(Brief Article)
March 17, 2003... FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Financial Executives International, a large trade group of chief financial officers and other financial professionals based here, named Colleen A. Sayther as the group's new president and chief executive, effective April...

More nations to converge on standards.(Brief Article)
March 17, 2003... NEW YORK -- Some 90 percent of 50 countries said that they intend to converge with International Financial Reporting Standards, according to a survey conducted by the six largest accounting firms. However, about 51 percent of the companies in...

Corrections.(Correction Notice)
March 17, 2003... In the Jan. 27-Feb. 9, 2003, edition, the page 5 story titled "Fledgling advisors face array of PFP challenges," incorrectly stated that Dan Mauck received his CFP certification in 2002. He was certified in 2000.

Deloitte Foundation fetes doctoral candidates. (Footnotes).(Brief Article)
March 17, 2003... DELOITTE FOUNDATION FETES DOCTORAL CANDIDATES: The Deloitte Foundation has awarded $250,000 in fellowship grants to 10 accounting doctoral students across the country. The Doctoral Fellowship Program is funded through the Deloitte Foundation, a...

GASB proposes reporting post-employment benefits. (Top of the news: the complete chronicle of news and trends shaping the profession).
March 17, 2003... NORWALK, CONN. -- State and municipal governments are bracing for a fiscal shock as the Governmental Accounting Standards Board proposes that they account for and report the annual cost and outstanding obligations of post-employment benefits...

IRS gets help from courts in catching offshore cheats. (Top of the news: the complete chronicle of news and trends shaping the profession).
March 17, 2003... Recent rulings by federal courts have put the spotlight on a long-standing financial arrangement in which millions of taxpayers are knowingly--and in some cases unknowingly--evading taxes through the use of offshore financial mechanisms. ...

CPA volunteer programs come in all shapes and sizes. (Top of the news: the complete chronicle of news and trends shaping the profession).
March 17, 2003... Accountants are way ahead Of President George W. Bush on one issue--volunteering. CPAs have volunteered their time and expertise for decades. While the president's new Council on Service and Civic Participation might give a push to some, others...

Did you hear the one about the CITP? (Opinion: the free and open forum for the tax and accounting community).
March 17, 2003... In the 27 months I've been at this job, I'm ashamed to tell you I can't immediately name one industry professional who holds the AICPA's CITP designation- certified information technology professional. Now whether that's due to my faulty...

Scorn, fury, and whistleblowers. (Commentary).(data about executive pay at General Electric Co. and Ernst and Young L.L.P. revealed in acrimonious divorce cases)
March 17, 2003... The English poet William Congreve (1670-1729) wrote, "Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, nor hell a fury like a woman scorned." Did he have in mind Mrs. Jack Welch, wife of the former chairman of General Electric, or Mrs. Richard...

No fan of Joe and Barry. (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
March 17, 2003... Are you folks serious? Your Feb. 10-23, 2003, cover was laughable. Please, do not ever send me another copy of Accounting Today with Joe Berardino's or Barry Melancon's pictures underneath the word "trust." Every time I look at it I have to...

Cover controversy. (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
March 17, 2003... How could you? First, I am flabbergasted at the front-page presentation of your Feb. 10-23, 2003, issue. One, allowing the Big Four to retain their tax consulting work because tax-related advice provides huge revenues. What an excuse! Is it...

Cascading--deluge or delusion? (Commentary).(accountants called upon to work with legislators on new regulations)
March 17, 2003... Sarbanes-Oxley occupied much of the CPA world over the past six months. It is a powerful package of legislation that is shaping a new world of accountability for both the profession and for the users of CPA services. And now, many in the...

Wake up to the facts. (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
March 17, 2003... Joe Wells' commentary (Accounting Today, Feb. 24-March 16, p. 6) is right on! Until our profession wakes up to the facts as they are in the 21st century, we will always be the group with our heads in the sand. The old axiom/paradigm that a CPA...

IRS updates `dirty dozen' scams for 2003. (Taxing Issues).(Brief Article)
March 17, 2003... IRS UPDATES `DIRTY DOZEN' SCAMS FOR 2003: In an update of an annual consumer alert, the Internal Revenue Service urged taxpayers to avoid falling victim to one of the "Dirty Dozen" tax scams. In the new 2003 ranking, several new scams have...

IRS says free file a success so far. (Taxing Issues).(Brief Article)
March 17, 2003... IRS SAYS FREE FILE A SUCCESS SO FAR: The Internal Revenue Service's controversial "Free File" initiative is off to a flying start, with almost 639,000 tax returns processed for taxpayers by members of the Free File Alliance during the program's...

Taxpayer advocate urges licensing for paid tax preparers. (Taxing Issues).(Brief Article)
March 17, 2003... TAXPAYER ADVOCATE URGES LICENSING FOR PAID TAX PREPARERS: In a move that could be a boon for CPAs, enrolled agents and lawyers, the nation's taxpayer advocate recommended that non-licensed tax preparers of federal tax returns be subject to...

IRS creates new post to combat abusive transactions. (Taxing Issues).
March 17, 2003... IRS CREATES NEW POST TO COMBAT ABUSIVE TRANSACTIONS: Internal Revenue Service officials announced the creation of a new senior executive position within the Office of Chief Counsel to focus on potentially abusive tax-avoidance transactions....

East meets West as vendors outsource returns to India.(US tax preparation outsourced to India)
March 17, 2003... Tax prep vendors RIA and CCH have discovered India at the same time. CCH's ProSystem fx Outsource and RIA's GoSystem RS are now available in a special package for outsourcing, and both have an alliance with one or more outsourcing providers....

Start hedging your clients' bets on the Bush tax plan. (Tax Strategy).
March 17, 2003... Whether or not President George W. Bush's tax plan passes this year remains speculation. Nevertheless, because the Republicans control both the House and Senate, at least parts of the $1.46 trillion tax package are likely to become law. Of...

D&T resigns as CTI auditor. (Change of Auditors).(Brief Article)
March 17, 2003... D&T RESIGNS AS CTI AUDITOR: Big Four firm Deloitte & Touche resigned as auditor to thermal imaging products manufacturer Computerized Thermal Imaging Inc., according to an 8-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. ...

Real media cans KPMG. (Change of Auditors).(Brief Article)
March 17, 2003... REAL MEDIA CANS KPMG: 24/7 Real Media Inc. dismissed Big Four firm KPMG as its auditor and named New York-based Goldstein Golub Kessler as its successor. A filing by the New York-based Internet concern with the SEC did not give a reason...

MTS appoints PWC. (Change of Auditors).(Brief Article)
March 17, 2003... MTS APPOINTS PWC: MTS, a Sacramento, Calif.-based subsidiary of Tower Records, said that it named PricewaterhouseCoopers as its independent auditor for the fiscal year ending July 31, 2003, replacing Big Four rival KPMG. The change became...

D&T resigns from Nash Finch audit. (Change of Auditors).(Deloitte & Touche)(Brief Article)
March 17, 2003... D&T RESIGNS FROM NASH FINCH AUDIT: On the heels of an investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission, food service distributor Nash Finch said that its auditor, Deloitte & Touche, has resigned. A successor has not been named. ...

Form 8-K filings. (Change of Auditors).(Brief Article)
March 17, 2003... 24/7 Real Media Inc. (New York), froth KPMG to Goldstein Golub Kessler. Auto-Graphics Inc. (Pomona, Calif.), from BDO Seidman to Singer Lewak Greenbaum & Goldstein. Brookline Bancorp Inc. (Brookline, Mass.), from Grant Thornton to...

FASB scrambles for funds in power struggle with SEC. (Assurance: technical developments, professional issues and engagement changes).(Financial Accounting Standarrds Board, Securities and Exchange Commission )
March 17, 2003... NORWALK, CONN. -- The Financial Accounting Standards Board has found itself without outside funding as the Securities and Exchange Commission maneuvers to exert more power over the board and drags its feet on recognizing the board as the...

Swinging our QFR hammer: make dividends tax exempt. (The Spirit of Accounting).
March 17, 2003... Much has been written about the portion of President George W. Bush's tax plan that would drastically alter the treatment of dividends. As every accountant has known for years, dividends are taxed twice, first on the corporate tax return and on...

New nominee to tax court to audit own taxes.(Glen Bower to review past returns)(Brief Article)
March 17, 2003... NEW YORK -- Glen Bower, nominated for the Tax Court bench, is taking steps to amend his past returns in response to concerns raised by the Senate Finance Committee regarding the proper treatment of several unreimbursed business expenses. ...

State Farm's now there for financial advice, too. (PFP Brief).(new advertising campaign )(Brief Article)
March 17, 2003... STATE FARM'S NOW THERE FOR FINANCIAL ADVICE, TOO: Marking the entry of another deep-pocketed player in the race for investors' dollars, insurance giant State Farm recently kicked off its first national financial services advertising campaign....

Retirement Solutions Inc. announces new name. (PFP Brief).(formerly known as Corporate Benefit Solutions and Retirement Solutions )(Brief Article)
March 17, 2003... RETIREMENT SOLUTIONS INC. ANNOUNCES NEW NAME: The Carlsbad, Calif.-based retirement planning and money management firm formerly known as Corporate Benefit Solutions and Retirement Solutions has taken on the moniker Retirement Solutions Inc. The...

Smith Barney to launch `classic values' fund. (PFP Brief).(Citigroup Asset Management and Olstein & Associates to unveil the Smith Barney Classic Values Fund )(Brief Article)
March 17, 2003... SMITH BARNEY TO LAUNCH `CLASSIC VALUES' FUND: Citigroup Asset Management has teamed with independent money management firm Olstein & Associates to launch the Smith Barney Classic Values Fund. The new fund will be sub-advised by the Olstein team...

Business Transitions beefs up FP transitions site. (PFP Brief).(launced revised site)(Brief Article)
March 17, 2003... BUSINESS TRANSITIONS BEEFS UP FP TRANSITIONS SITE: Business Transitions has upgraded its online buy/sell forum for financial planning practices, FP Transitions. According to the company, the new site offers "a comprehensive membership structure...

Personal bankruptcies set record in 2002. (PFP Brief).(Brief Article)
March 17, 2003... PERSONAL BANKRUPTCIES SET RECORD IN 2002: Consumer debt contributed to a record 1.5 million personal bankruptcy filings in 2002, up 6 percent from 2001, according to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. Personal bankruptcies accounted...

Americans say they'd use proposed savings accounts to save more. (PFP Brief).(Brief Article)
March 17, 2003... AMERICANS SAY THEY'D USE PROPOSED SAVINGS ACCOUNTS TO SAVE MORE: Eighty-three percent of Americans said they'd use one or more of the Bush administration's proposed savings accounts if they were made available, according to a survey by Strong...

Basic analysis tools cover the gamut of PFP practices.
March 17, 2003... Financial planners encounter many different questions in their day-to-day operations, and are looking for tools that can help with the start of a practice, compliance with regulations, ways to communicate information, and overall practice...

Partial home sale exclusion for health or the unexpected. (Financial Planning Tax Tactics).
March 17, 2003... An individual who is not allowed the full home sale exclusion on the sale of his principal residence may be allowed a partial exclusion ff the sale is for reasons of health or if it's because of unforeseen circumstances. When partial...

Softline adding CRM. (Tech Briefs).(plans to launch customer relationship management software)(Brief Article)
March 17, 2003... SOFTLINE ADDING CRM: Softline Software North America plans to introduce customer relationship management into its accounting software products, making it one of a growing number of accounting software vendors expanding into CRM. The product,...

Human capital management software spending on rise. (Tech Briefs).(Brief Article)
March 17, 2003... HUMAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE SPENDING ON RISE: Human capital management software, which includes performance and incentive management, and "workforce optimization" systems, will be a strong area for business IT spending in 2003, according...

Accountants prefer `snail' over e-mail for client communications. (Tech Briefs).(Brief Article)
March 17, 2003... ACCOUNTANTS PREFER `SNAIL' OVER E-MAIL FOR CLIENT COMMUNICATIONS: A vast majority of accountants and other professional services firms prefer paper and "snail" mail over e-mail for communicating with clients, according to a survey by practice...

Navision nonprofit add-on changes name, upgrades. (Tech Briefs).(Serenic Software changes name of product)(Brief Article)
March 17, 2003... NAVISION NONPROFIT ADD-ON CHANGES NAME, UPGRADES: Serenic Software, the Denver-based vendor of the nonprofit industry software designed for use with the financial management software from the former Navision, has been forced to rename their...

Microsoft wages war on Spam, seeks government help. (Tech Briefs).(Brief Article)
March 17, 2003... MICROSOFT WAGES WAR ON SPAM, SEEKS GOVERNMENT HELP: The software giant has called for "the cooperation of industry and government" to fight unwanted and unsolicited e-mail, commonly called "spam," in a Web posting at...

The key to reselling success remains a matter of opinion. (Technology: news and trends in information system and electronic commerce).
March 17, 2003... SAN RAFAEL, CALIF. -- In a shaky economy with a wealth of new software products and name changes, what it takes to succeed in software reselling really depends on whom you ask. At the recent reseller conference of accounting software vendor...

On niche lane, sometimes your prospects are suspects. (Consultant Concerns).(experience with niche markets)
March 17, 2003... Would you like to make so much money that you could retire? To hear industry experts talk, by focusing services on smaller niche markets, technology consultants can achieve unbelievable riches, lose weight overnight and realize ultimate...

Mid-range software offers high-end features.(accouting software overview)
March 17, 2003... Despite slowdowns for most other business applications, the market for so-called mid-range accounting software is one place where sales are still running strong. There are two major reasons. The first is simply, growth. Many businesses...

Redefining the role of your managing partner. (Bloomer's Blueprint).
March 17, 2003... The role of managing partner is becoming more important as firms focus on governance and the profession's changing landscape. In some firms, the managing partners were selected for the position for the wrong reasons. Some examples are: ...

Accpac Pro Series 6.5 Small Business Edition Accpac International.(Product/Service Evaluation)
March 17, 2003... When-it comes to accounting software, Accpac has the base well covered. In the mid-range market, it actually has two very strong product lines, the Advantage Series, and the Pro Series, which we reviewed. Advantage Series is not reviewed...

AccTrak21 v. 10 AccTrak U.S.A.(strategy for the United States )
March 17, 2003... When you stop to think about it, our economy has truly become global--and so have our accounting software vendors. AccTrak21's headquarters are in Melbourne, Australia, though the company hopes to make a big splash in the U.S. software market....

BusinessWorks Gold Best Software.
March 17, 2003... With its aggressive acquisition history, it's taken some time for Best Software to get all of its ducks-in a row. It's pretty clear now where BusinessWorks Gold stands--right in the mid-range between Peachtree Software (also a Best Software...

BusinessVision32 Standard Edition Softline BusinessVision.(Product/Service Evaluation)
March 17, 2003... South African software developer Softline has several subsidiaries here in the U.S. One is the well-known AccountMate, with the second being BusinessVision Management Systems. AccountMate has been slightly repositioned to appeal more to the...

Cougar Mountain Accounting v. 7.0 Cougar Mountain Software.(Brief Article)
March 17, 2003... Cougar Mountain Software probably doesn't get quite the respect that it deserves. The vendor built its reputation in the direct-market channel, with thousands of users purchasing the bundle of applications over the years. These days, Cougar...

Cyma Financial Management System v. 5 Cyma Systems.(Brief Article)
March 17, 2003... Cyma Systems is another of the survivors, having been around for more than 20 years. The Cyma Financial Management System v. 5 is brand new this year, and adds a lot of enhancements to the prior release. The software is built on, top of the...

Microsoft Small Business Manager 7.0 Microsoft Corp.
March 17, 2003... Microsoft has been taking a fair amount of flack for Small Business Manager since it was first introduced. Some of this comes from a misunderstanding of the product's target market, and some comes from an unrealistic expectation of what the...

Pardon us--restoration in progress. (The 2003 Top 100 Firms).(finance trends of accounting firms )
March 17, 2003... To say that 2002 was not business as usual for CPAs might be the understatement of the century. During the past year, accounting firms operated against a backdrop of sweeping legislative changes that marked the end of their...

The Top 100 Firms: the numbers speak for themselves. (The 2003 Top 100 Firms).
March 17, 2003... An attempt to summarize what has happened to the landscape of the nation's accounting firms since our 2002 survey in the space allotted here would be rather like trying to squeeze toothpaste back into the tube. So we'll just let the...

Faltering economy seen in firms' slight growth. (The 2003 Top 100 Firms).
March 17, 2003... Despite some indications of a continuing economic slowdown, most of 2002 saw a gradual improvement in the nation's economy, both at the national and the regional level. However, the year-end figures reported by the Accounting Today Top 100...

Help wanted! top 100 firms deploy their 2003 budgets to bolster staff. (The 2003 Fop 100 Firms).
March 17, 2003... Despite the legislative avalanche of Sarbanes-Oxley, which promises to usher in a daunting new era of oversight and reform, a majority of Accounting Today's Top 100 firms maintained that their resources in 2003 will remain deployed toward...

Execs: reach out to clients in scandals' wake: it's time to reconnect, rebuild trust--and explain the impact of Sarbanes-Oxley. (The 2003 Top 100 Firms).
March 17, 2003... The new era of increased public scrutiny of accounting, which is using the Sarbanes-Oxley law as its beacon, has also ushered in a time for accounting practitioners to reach out to their clients in new ways, key executives of Accounting Today's...

Firms diversify like mad--into the same niches. (The 2003 Top 100 Firms).(accounting firm trends )
March 17, 2003... Diversification is a recurring theme for most CPA firms as many continue to grow numerous niche areas of their business amid rising regulatory and economic concerns. Yet, diverse as firms may be, it is of little surprise that some of the...

Web-based state filing. (Software).
March 17, 2003... Reader Service No. 57 RIA's InSource Express RS Sales & Use Tax is an Internet-enabled product offering the ability to file general sales and use tax returns for most state, local and Canadian jurisdictions. The product is designed to meet...

Timeslips for Sole Practitioners. (Software).
March 17, 2003... Reader Service No. 58 Timeslips for Sole Practitioners is a time-and-billing product specifically designed for businesses that only have one or two people who perform billable tasks. This scaled-down version of Best's longtime Timeslips...

Improved web CRM. (Software).
March 17, 2003... Reader Service No. 59 MultiProcess Management from UpShot is the latest update to the company's Web-based customer relationship management product. It adapts to all of a company's sales processes and permits sales reps to personalize their...

Fixed-asset manager. (Software).
March 17, 2003... Reader Service No. 60 Fixed Asset Pro 2003 is a full-featured asset management software program that has been specifically designed to assist companies of all sizes to account for and manage their fixed assets. This software provides more...

Portable projector. (Hardware).
March 17, 2003... Reader Service No. 61 Looking for a portable LCD projector with network and wireless capabilities? Hitachi America's CP-X880W portable LCD projector offers these capabilities through the use of a separate optional module. This module...

Panda Antivirus. (Hardware).
March 17, 2003... Reader Service No. 62 Designed to protect users right from the network perimeter, integrating both hardware and software technology, the Panda Antivirus Appliance handles all the main communication protocols. This product has the capacity...

Multi-function flatbed. (Hardware).
March 17, 2003... Reader Service No. 63 Print, copy, scan and fax with Samsung's new SCX-4216F four-in-one printer for small to midsized businesses. The SCX-4216F flatbed prints at 17 pages per minute, with 600 dpi resolution. It comes with a one-touch...

Investments and taxes. (Etc.).
March 17, 2003... Reader Service No. 64 CFAs William Jennings and William Reichenstein examine savings vehicles and help calculate a family's asset allocation using the tax code to enhance returns and add value in their new book, "Integrating Investments...

`Final Accounting'. (Etc.).
March 17, 2003... Reader Service No. 65 Former Arthur Andersen national partner Barbara Ley Toffler and former Business Week editor Jennifer Reingold have unleashed an expose that chronicles the demise of Enron and ultimately the Big Five firm itself. The...

Abalos & Associates PC. (Arizona).(new employee announcements )(Brief Article)
March 17, 2003... Abalos & Associates PC, Phoenix, has hired John Harker as tax manager and Scott A. Sawyer as a senior accountant. Harker formerly worked for Henry & Horne. Sawyer graduated from the School of the Ozarks with a BBA.

Rothstein, Kass & Co. PC. (California).(appoints David Thaw as tax senior manager )(Brief Article)
March 17, 2003... Rothstein, Kass & Co. PC, Beverly Hills, has hired David Thaw as tax senior manager for its National Real Estate Group. Previously, Thaw was a senior tax manager with Ernst & Young.

NetLedger Inc. (California).(appoints Tara Ryan as vice president of marketing)(Brief Article)
March 17, 2003... ... Tara Ryan has joined NetLedger Inc., San Mateo, as its vice president of marketing. She will lead the company's brand development, lead generation, product marketing and corporate communications. Ryan previously worked at Deloitte...

Brock & Co. CPAs PC. (Colorado).(promotes Mielmel Bandy as manager in Fort Collins)(Brief Article)
March 17, 2003... Brock & Co. CPAs PC has promoted Mielmel Bandy to manager in its Fort Collins office. Bundy has been with the firm since 1994, and specializes in servicing the needs of audit clients.

American Institute of CPAs.. (Connecticut).(new member)(Brief Article)
March 17, 2003... Julie Gillespie, a partner with Simione Macca & Larrow CPAs, Rocky Hill, has been named a member of the National PCPS Technical Issues Committee of the American Institute of CPAs. The TIC monitors technical issues and developments in...

Gunnip & Co, CPAs and Consultants. (Delaware).(personnel changes )(Brief Article)
March 17, 2003... Gunnip & Co, CPAs and Consultants, Vilmington, has promoted Janine Hunsberger to senior in accounting and auditing, and hired Donna Knodel as a staff accountant.

Ellin & Tucker Chartered. (D.C.).(personnel changes )(Brief Article)
March 17, 2003... Ellin & Tucker Chartered, Washington and Baltimore, Md., has hired Maurice J. Whalen as a director in its Business Valuation and Litigation Services Group. He brings an extensive background in fraud and forensic accounting with over 30 years of...

Gerson, Preston, Robinson & Co. PA. (Florida).(appoints Jay L. Jackler as senior accountant )(Brief Article)
March 17, 2003... Gerson, Preston, Robinson & Co. PA, Miami Beach, has hired Jay L. Jackler as a senior accountant. He will focus on taxation, audit, and reviews and compilations, among other things.

Porter Keadle Moore LLP. (Georgia).(Phil Moore )(Brief Article)
March 17, 2003... Phil Moore, managing partner of Porter Keadle Moore LLP, Atlanta, has been selected to serve on the Dean's Business Advisory Council of the College of Business Administration at Georgia Southern University.

Smart & Associates LLP. (Illinois).(promotes Scott Schenker)(Brief Article)
March 17, 2003... Smart & Associates LLP has promoted Scott Schenker of its Chicago office to partner. Schenker has over 14 years of experience helping organizations in all facets of information technology.

Ostrow Reisin Berk & Adams Ltd. (Illinois).(hires James G Quaid)(Brief Article)
March 17, 2003... ... Ostrow Reisin Berk & Adams Ltd., Chicago, has hired James G. Quaid as a senior associate. Quaid has more than 11 years of experience working with nonprofit organizations, and was previously a senior manager with Thomas Havey.

Hilco Appraisal Services LLC. (Illinois).(hires Shez K. Bandukwala as senior vice president)(Brief Article)
March 17, 2003... ... Shez K. Bandukwala has joined Hilco Appraisal Services LLC, Chicago, as senior vice president for enterprise valuation services. He previously worked for William Blair & Co., an investment bank.