CPA Lawyers in Toronto

GlickLaw is a boutique professional regulation and workplace law firm specializing in representing accounting professionals in regulatory, disciplinary, and employment proceedings.

As accountant lawyers in Toronto, we assist those facing complaints, discipline hearings, and other regulatory issues with the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario (CPAO or CPA Ontario). The lawyers at GlickLaw have acted as external legal counsel for years to numerous regulators, which gives us unique insight into regulatory issues that we use to defend our clients.

We have significant experience representing accountants before CPA Ontario. Draw on our knowledge and expertise to respond to complaints and investigations, defend yourself against allegations of professional misconduct, or deal with any other issue you may be facing with your regulator or your employer.

Learn how a GlickLaw CPA complaint lawyer can help you protect your practice and reputation.

accountant sitting at office desk working

Our Accountant Lawyers Assist And Act For Accountants On A Wide Range Of Matters, Including:

  • Responding to complaints and investigations at the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario Complaints Committee;
  • Representing accountants in hearings before the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario Discipline Committee or Capacity Committee;
  • Representing accountants in registration hearings before the Chartered Professional Accountants Admission and Registration Committee;
  • Appealing decisions of the Discipline Committee, Admission and Registration Committee, or Capacity Committee to the Appeal Committee and the Divisional Court;
  • Representing accountants in criminal or quasi-criminal proceedings under the Criminal Code or Provincial Offences Act;
  • Representing accountants in applications and civil litigation before the Superior Court of Justice;
  • Assisting accountants and accounting firms in applications for membership and registration;
  • Assisting accountants with practice inspections;
  • Advising accountants on compliance with the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario Act, 2017 and other relevant legislation and regulations;
  • Advising accountants on professional practice issues, such as privacy, confidentiality and record-keeping;
  • Representing accountants in wrongful dismissal claims and human rights applications; and
  • Reviewing and drafting employment contracts and severance packages for accountants.

Choose GlickLaw as Your CPA Attorney

Armed with over 40 years of cumulative experience, GlickLaw founder Jordan Glick and his team specialize in legal counsel and advocacy for accounting professionals across Ontario. With in-depth insight into CPA Ontario regulations and standards, we understand the complexities and nuances that accountants face when responding to regulatory issues with CPA Ontario.

A GlickLaw CPA appeal lawyer will help you respond professionally to regulatory issues and ensure they do not affect the longevity of your practice.

Contact GlickLaw today to speak with a CPA attorney.

Frequently Asked Questions About Accountant Lawyers

An accountant lawyer is a lawyer who provides legal counsel and advocates for chartered professional accounts facing regulatory issues with CPA Ontario, such as complaints, discipline proceedings, or registration issues. A CPA attorney will represent their client against CPA Ontario and help them navigate the complexities and nuances of Ontario’s legal system.

 

CPA attorneys understand the seriousness of bringing a claim against a licensed accountant and will advocate on behalf of their client to protect their firm and reputation. They have the knowledge and resources to draft responses to complaints, respond to CPA inquiries, and defend clients before disciplinary or appeal committees and the Divisional Court.

Accounting professionals facing regulatory proceedings can benefit from the expertise of a CPA discipline lawyer. A complaint lawyer can provide counsel against a spectrum of claims, including:

 

Fraud

Fraud claims are one of the most significant charges that can be brought against accounting professionals and can include claims that accountants have purposefully acted to deceive or misrepresent for financial gain. A CPA discipline lawyer will carefully review a fraud complaint and advise on how to navigate complaint and disciplinary proceedings.

 

Harassment

If a harassment claim has been brought against you and your practice, your attorney will advocate on your behalf and help you navigate the claims process in the most effective manner.

 

Professional Competence

Accounting professionals are expected to adhere to industry standards and maintain a high level of competence. If a claim has been brought against you that contradicts the standards outlined by CPA Ontario, your complaint attorney will ensure due diligence is performed, and you’re given a fair chance to challenge and resolve these claims.

CPA Ontario — Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario — is a regulatory body responsible for regulating the accounting profession in Ontario in the public interest. This is achieved by ensuring all members of CPA Ontario meet the highest standards of expertise and integrity. CPAO currently has over 99,000 members and 21,000 students in their professional development and qualification, ranging from public accounting to business and not-for-profit.

Professional misconduct claims are often the most common complaints against professional accountants. Misconduct refers to violating the standards and rules set by the profession’s governing body — in the case of accountants, that would be CPAO.

 

A misconduct claim can cover a spectrum of complaints, ranging from breaching confidentiality to a failure to meet legal obligations— or, in extreme cases, harassment or abusive conduct. A CPA complaint lawyer can help make sense of the claims against your practice and guide you through the legal process.

If a complaint is brought against you and your practice, it can significantly impact the longevity of the firm and your overall reputation. If you are not successful at first instance before a CPA Committee, such as the Admission and Registration Committee, the Discipline Committee, or the Capacity Committee, you may be able to appeal to CPA Ontario’s Appeal Committee. A CPA appeal lawyer specializes in helping accounting professionals appeal disciplinary, capacity, and registration decisions at CPA Ontario to try and overturn the result and restore your practice.

A CPA complaint is a serious legal matter that can negatively affect the longevity of your practice if not handled correctly. We recommend working with a lawyer for accountants to ensure proper protocol is followed.

 

The complaint process is governed by Rule 15-2. It is a multi-step process. Your CPA discipline attorney will ensure each step is followed with precision. As part of the initial review and assessment process, with the assistance of your CPA lawyer, you will submit non-privileged, relevant records and materials to CPAO, who will provide the materials to the Professional Conduct Committee (PCC) or to the Vice President of Standards Enforcement (Vice President) to review before a formal investigation is undertaken.

 

You will have an opportunity to respond to any materials provided by the complainant, and similarly, the complainant will have an opportunity to respond to any materials provided by you.

 

If the PCC determines that a formal investigation is unnecessary, the PCC or Vice President may take no further action or refer the matter to a CPAO committee, with a recommendation to admonish or provide guidance and advice.

 

Where the matter is more complex or requires a formal investigation, the Vice President, PCC or other committee may appoint an investigator to investigate the complaint. The investigator will interview you and other witnesses and collect relevant documents as part of the investigation. The investigator will then prepare a report for the PCC.

 

You may have an opportunity to address the PCC directly with your CPA attorney. After considering the investigation report and your submissions, the PCC may take no further action, provide an admonishment or guidance, refer the matter to discipline or refer elsewhere within CPA Ontario.

 

Where the PCC is concerned about a serious breach of the CPA Code of Professional Conduct or the Student Code of Conduct, the matter will likely be referred to the Discipline Committee.

 

If the PCC is concerned about risk or harm to the public, it may seek an interim order before the Discipline Committee, such as restrictions or a suspension.

 

The outcome depends on the severity and validity of the claims and any remedial action you have taken since the conduct at issue occurred.

The CPA Code of Professional Conduct is a set of principles that guide CPA Ontario’s students and members on fair and sound financial, business, and management reporting practices and standards. This code outlines the industry’s obligations to its clients, employers, colleagues, and the public.

Its five fundamental principles include:

  • Objectivity
  • Integrity and Due Care
  • Professional Behaviour
  • Professional Competence
  • Confidentiality

CPA Ontario’s Professional Conduct Committee (PCC) acts as the Complaints Committee for the CPA, responsible for reviewing complaints against accounting professionals and determining whether a breach of the CPA Code of Professional Conduct or the Student Code of Conduct has occurred. The PCC may take information received from any source or complaint into account and order an investigation into the issues raised. After it considers the complaint, the PCC may decide to take no further action, to admonish or provide guidance, or in more serious cases, to refer the matter to the Discipline Committee.

 

The Discipline Committee, on the other hand, hears and decides allegations of professional misconduct referred by the Professional Conduct Committee. The Discipline Committee also hears applications made by the PCC for a preliminary suspension of an accountant’s licence before a finding of professional misconduct is made. In a disciplinary hearing, evidence is brought forth by both parties, and the committee carefully reviews evidence and submissions before making its decision as to whether the accountant engaged in professional misconduct.

At GlickLaw, our CPA complaint attorneys specialize in a wide range of appeal and discipline services, including but not limited to:

  • Responding to complaints filed with CPA Ontario
  • Representing accounting clients before CPA Ontario’s Discipline Committee, Admission and Registration Committee, and Capacity Committee
  • Representing accountants in appeals of registration, capacity, and discipline decisions to CPA Ontario’s Appeal Committee
  • Advising accounting clients on professional practice issues

Submit your confidential inquiries to our team of lawyers for accountants today to learn how we can help.

GlickLaw is the law team regulators in Toronto trust with some of their most challenging issues. We represent nearly a dozen regulators as external counsel and prosecutors. This gives us unique insight into how a regulator will think and act, which we use to protect the professional livelihood of our accountant clients.

 

We represent accounting professionals against various regulatory issues, such as complaints, discipline, and registration. With over 40 years of cumulative experience, our lawyers understand the complexities of Ontario’s legal system and work diligently with our clients to ensure they respond to claims swiftly and professionally — intending to minimize the short and long-term impact on their accounting practice and reputation.

 

Whether you require professional advice or a litigation attorney, we can help prepare you for any CPA claims and appeal process.

GlickLaw lawyers offer experience and knowledge in both the areas of professional regulation and employment law. CPA attorneys at GlickLaw can advise you on employment matters while accounting for your significant professional responsibilities as a CPA.

 

We are also sensitive to drafting employment contracts in a manner that also abides by your unique obligations as a CPA.

If you require an attorney to defend against your CPA claim, trust the lawyers for accountants at GlickLaw.

 

We represent accounting professionals against various regulatory and disciplinary claims, advocating to protect their practice and ensure the claims process is fair and just.

 

Our team welcomes discrete and confidential inquiries from new clients. Contact us today to learn how a CPA appeal lawyer can help.