Firms Break From Andersen in Lobbying

The four biggest accounting firms will lobby the government without Andersen, which is trying to settle lawsuits related to the collapse of client Enron Corp.

An industry coalition, including PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte & Touche, KPMG and Ernst & Young, decided last week to break with Chicago-based Andersen, said Geoffrey Pickard, vice president of communications at the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

“Andersen is in a different position than the rest of the firms,” Pickard said. “They are focused on litigation settlement. We will pursue long-term policy changes that affect the function of financial markets.”

An Andersen spokesman wasn’t available to comment.

Separately, Andersen settled a lawsuit brought by Department 56 Inc., a maker of collectibles that accused the accounting firm of botching a project to overhaul its computer systems.

Department 56 received $11million in the settlement, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Officials with Andersen and the Eden Prairie, Minn., company could not be reached for comment.