Pitcher Partners

Accounting firms Pitcher Partners and Ernst & Young have blamed the lawyers who advised on Slater & Gordon’s disastrous $1.2 Quindell acquisition for the its massive losses in 2016, saying they failed to point out the “commercial misjudgment” of agreeing to the deal.

Accounting firms EY and Pitcher Partners ignored “front page news” that Slater & Gordon’s acquired business Quindell was scrutinised by a UK regulator after reporting a $250 million (£137 million) loss, a court heard on the second day of trial in a class action by the law firm’s shareholders.

Accounting firm Pitcher Partners gave faulty advice ahead of Slater & Gordon’s disastrous $1.2 billion Quindell acquisition that was responsible for $800 million in the business’ value “disappearing” within six months, a court heard on the first day of trial in a long-running class action by the law firm’s shareholders.

An in-principle settlement has been reached with law firms Arnold Bloch Leibler and Slater & Gordon in a class action over Slater & Gordon’s disastrous $1.2 billion Quindell acquisition.

Two class actions against Pitcher Partners and Arnold Bloch Leibler over advice given ahead of Slater & Gordon’s disastrous $1.2 billion Quindell acquisition will proceed to trial next month after mediation between the parties failed to resolve the cases.

The judge overseeing two class actions over legal and accounting advice given ahead of Slater & Gordon’s disastrous Quindell acquisition has said he will hear the cases together, citing the “dangers” of the approach taken in litigation against GetSwift, which resulted in a judge being ordered to step down.

Notice of the discontinuance of a class action on behalf of Slater & Gordon shareholders against Pitcher Partners need not be sent to all group members, a judge has ruled, acknowledging there would be “significant practical difficulties” with trying to reach everyone.

Accounting giant Ernst & Young, which has been dragged into two class actions by Slater & Gordon shareholders, has shot back at claims it was negligent in its 2015 audit report of the law firm’s UK division, which included a review of the firm’s disastrous acquisition of Quindell’s professional services arm that found no impairment on the goodwill value of the deal.