Helping Professionals Meet the Challenge: FAE’s Anti-Fraud Conference

By Timothy P. Hedley

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, SAS 99 and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board have brought to focus the challenges CPAs, auditors, attorneys, corporate financial officers and security directors face in meeting and mitigating the risk of organizational fraud. To help address these challenges, the NYSSCPA’s Litigation Services Committee is sponsoring FAE’s Anti-Fraud Conference on June 24 at the Hotel Pennsylvania in New York City.

The speakers and topics will provide attendees with the knowledge and tools to respond to today’s increased risks and sophisticated challenges in the area of fraud. They will also offer cutting-edge guidance to prevent and deter fraud. Attendees will receive eight hours of auditing continuing education credit.

The conference keynote speaker is Michael R. Young, Esq., partner at Willkie Farr & Gallagher, LLP, and a well-known specialist in securities and financial reporting. Young will examine the auditor’s role in helping to prevent fraud in the present environment. Toby Bishop, from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, will discuss reviewing and scoring a company’s effectiveness related to fraud prevention and detection controls.

The morning also offers a panel discussion on fighting fraud from within organizations by properly developing and positioning audit, investigative and security functions. Panelists include Kerry Carr, vice president of internal audit for Avon Products, Inc., Abby Fiorella, vice president of internal audit for MasterCard, and Martin Biegelman, director of the financial integrity unit for Microsoft. Biegelman will also present the luncheon address on how business leaders view the problem of fraud.

Courtenay Thompson, of Courtenay Thompson & Associates, will give a presentation on the difficulties of detecting fraud. Joseph Ford, special agent with the FBI, will discuss federal law enforcement’s response to corporate crime. Zachary Carter, Esq., partner with Dorsey and Whitney LLP, and Thomas Levanti, lieutenant in a large metropolitan police department, will explore the challenges of detecting and reacting to money laundering, while Alan Brill, senior managing director with Kroll on Track, will provide an overview on avoiding data alteration or destruction.

The conference cochairs are Debra A. Cutler, partner with Kramer, Love & Cutler, LLP, and the author, Timothy P. Hedley, partner with KPMG LLP Forensic Services, who will also present, providing insight on considering the potential for material misstatement due to fraud. S. David Belsky, of S. D. Belsky & Associates CPAs, chairs the Litigation Services Committee.

To register for the event, please contact FAE at 800-537-3635 or visit the Society’s website at www.nysscpa.org and click on the “Continuing Education” link at the top.